


Light Me Up

by Kaliedoscopetta



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blogger Keith (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mystery, Old School Arcade, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, because there aren't enough of those, they/them pronouns for Pidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-10-08 06:32:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 74
Words: 150,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10380585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaliedoscopetta/pseuds/Kaliedoscopetta
Summary: Keith's a blogger fixated on the supernatural. When someone emails him about an arcade machine that grants a player superpowers, he finds himself pulled into an adventure - and friendship - even he never believed possible.





	1. Come Fly With Me

**Author's Note:**

> I'm bad at summaries. O_0

Keith Kogane was used to spam IM's from the forums he frequented; one article on a possible wereleopard sighting condemned him to a lifetime of mockery, or so it seemed. If someone wasn't messaging him with an offer for their book (for just the low cost of $5.99!), they were sending pictures of their cats, boobs, and sometimes even their cats' boobs (the sickos). So when he first received an IM from SirLanceLotta, he ignored his "great story he just had to write about." That's how he got roped into the wereleopard story, and he vowed to never again be so foolish as to let fantasy overrule logic. (Even if the idea of wereleopards was still cool in his opinion...)

SirLanceLotta was persistent, though. He messaged him every day for two weeks. Keith tried everything short of blocking the guy - insulted him, ridiculed him, barraged him with annoying memes. But none of it seemed to phase SirLanceLotta; if anything, the guy seemed to enjoy the attention and was more keen to press his story on Keith.So when he next messaged him, Keith opted for a polite but firm: "I appreciate your efforts to reach me, but I'm already working on several stories right now and don't possibly have the time to pursue whatever this is."

The immediate response of "Please, please! This is so much more important than any of that!" convinced Keith that the only was to get rid of him was to humor him. "Well, first tell me your name. Then tell me your story."

His response was just as animated as his previous ones: "Lance. Thought it was obvious, dude. Anyway, I found an arcade game that grants super powers!"

Keith rolled his eyes at that. "I've seen 'Big', Lance. Try being more original."

When Lance didn't respond for several hours, Keith assumed he'd gotten the hint and decided to stop teasing him. He realized he shouldn't have let his guard down when his messenger pinged: "That granted wishes. This gives you superpowers. Totally different. I'll prove it to you. I'll take you to it, and you can get a superpower, too!"

Keith couldn't resist: "Oh yeah? What one did it give you?"

Lance's response: "I can fly. If you want man, I'll literally fly you here. Just give me an address to meet you at."

"Are you even in Nevada? I'm like 20 minutes outside the Strip."

"I told you, I can fly. I live Los Angeles so won't take me too long to get there. Where should we meet up?"

"Fine. Neptune Fountain at Caesars Palace."

"Sounds classy, okay! I can meet you as soon as noon today, unless that's too short of notice? What times works for you?"

Keith glanced at his watch; it was still early enough. "Noon is fine. How will I recognize you?"

He didn't need to see Lance's face to know he was probably smirking as he responded, "I'll be the one flying."

"Oh, right. Okay then."

So that was how Keith came to be standing in front of the lavish fountain, scarfing down a hotdog, and checking the time on his phone every so often. If Lance didn't show up in ten minutes, he was leaving; the guy was already five minutes late. Part of him wondered if Lance was videotaping him, for some type of prank YouTube show. That'd be just his luck, Keith thought with a scoff, but his reputation was already ruined so it wasn't like things could get worse. Well...maybe they could. Keith dropped his hotdog when he spotted the flying man - yes, a flying man! - in the sky above him. Superman he wasn't; instead, Lance was a gangly, tan young man in a pale blue hoodie and baggy jeans. He started chuckling when he hovered a few feet above Keith.

"If you could see your face right now..."

That snapped Keith out of his stupor. Hotly, he replied, "Do you have no sense of preservation at all? Lance, get down from there. You're fracking flying! How the military isn't dragging you off to some underground facility is beyond me. I'm serious, get down!"

Lance landed - rather gracefully - and flashed a dazzling smile, extending his hand. "Nice to see you and your infamous mullet in person finally. I'm a big fan, not of the mullet but of your writing, though the hair's better in person than in your pics."

Keith ignored his hand and the jibes at his hair. "How the hell did you do that?"

"What, fly? I told you. An arcade game." He shoved both his hands in the pockets of his pants and shrugged as if to say duh.

"So it makes people fly?"

"Not everyone. My friend Pidge, they can now run super fast. Like, I'm talking light speed fast. They have to be so careful not to break the space-time continuum. Saw that on a Flash episode once, it messed up reality hardcore."

"I...geez. Lance, do you realize that this is crazy? You flew."

"Yeah, we already went over that. I can fly. I wonder what the machine will grant you. Maybe you'll be able to turn invisible, that'd be awesome!"

Keith shook his head. "Where is this machine now? If this really does what you say it does, it's dangerous."

"No, it's all good. It doesn't work for bad people - like the machine knows if you'll use a power for evil and therefore only takes your quarters."

"It does what now...? How do you know that?!" Keith tried to fight down the bubble of hysteria in his throat.

Lance, however, was nonplussed. Idiot, Keith thought bitterly as he awaited his reply. "Loads of other people have used it, and it hasn't given them any powers. My older brother Hector didn't get any powers, cuz he's a total dick. It's like it knows who's worthy or not."

"What makes you think I'd be worthy of getting a power?"

"Well, I don't know for certain or anything. But you have the courage to not only rock a mullet in this day and age, but also write about wereleopards and other unbelievable stuff. If not you, then who is worthy, right?" He smiled.

"Right," Keith sighed. "Is there any way you can take me there without making a scene?"

"Uh, I hate to break it to you, Keith my pal." Lance gestured around. "I didn't make a scene earlier. No one, except for you, noticed what I did."

"They had to have noticed. You were flying!"

"They saw, but they didn't notice. The supernatural goes right over there heads, literally in my case. Worst that could ever happen is some jerk puts a clip on YouTube, but nobody'd believe it was anything other than a hoax." He paused, then offered, "If you hold on to me, I can fly us out of here. I'll take you right to the machine, promise."

Curiosity again won out. Keith hesitated only for a moment before grabbing Lance in a mock hug. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited, biting back a scream when he felt them levitate off the ground. His arms tightened around Lance's slim frame, to which the other man grunted, "Wow, you're strong for a scrawny dude," before zooming them up higher into the sky. 


	2. Enter Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is in over his head. Lance is literally over everyone's heads.

At one point during the flight, Keith opened his eyes and took in the scenery above, around, and below them. He wasn't sure how high up they were exactly, but it was enough to awe him as he admired the beautifully peaceful - and unnerving - speckled world. When his eyes flicked to Lance's face, he caught the other man staring at him.

Lance blinked and hurriedly looked ahead. "Hey, uh, you doing okay?"

"Yeah, actually." Keith chuckled. "This is amazing."

"Maybe the machine will give you the power to fly, too. Then we can fly together..." Lance broke off, blushing furiously before continuing, "Or not. You'll find out soon enough. We're almost there. Have you been to LA before?"

"I've been to the surrounding areas. I did a piece on an alien sighting in Pasadena two years ago."

"Right. I admit, I only started reading your stuff after I got my power. My friend Pidge, the speedster I mentioned earlier, they've been following you since the beginning. Huge fan of your work."

"How long ago did you get your power? And what happened? Can you tell me more about this machine?" Keith babbled, tightening his arms around Lance as the other man seemed to sped up.

Lance chuckled. "Nervous? Don't worry, I've got you." He shifted, gradually dipping lower. "I'll explain when we land. We're nearly there. The arcade's actually in Canoga Park. Not sure if you heard of it, nice little 'burb not far from Hollywood." His voice drifted right over Keith as the other man turned his attention once again to the view below, the feel of the wind whipping across his cheeks and through his unruly hair. Keith felt a stab of impatience - why couldn't Lance just tell him now? - but squashed it down as he realized Lance, for all his seeming effortlessness, may need to concentrate to land them both safely. That kept Keith silent throughout the remainder of their flight, though it did little to lessen the scowl on his face.

Much to Keith's relief, their feet touched down gently as Lance landed in an empty parking lot behind a building. It looked like a typical dive bar or restaurant, dirty windows and chipped exterior paint, save for the pristine, bright green and yellow signage above the back door that read "Javier's."

"So...this is the place?"

"Yep." Lance nodded towards the building, "Hunk, Pidge, and I have been coming to Javier's since high school. No better way to blow off some steam than play some games and scarf down good food. They make the best chimichangas."

"And the magic arcade machine is inside?"

"I just said so. Hey, you know you can release your death grip me now. Unless you're, like, into that..."

Keith blinked and looked down at his arms, realizing they were still snugly wrapped around the lankier man. With a squeal, his arms dropped to his sides. "Okay. Now can you stop groping me?" He gestured to Lance's hands, which continued to rest just above the swell of his butt, fingers splayed out across the rough denim..

Lance's answering smile was nearly blinding. "Sure thing, mullet." Keith tried not to pout at the sudden loss of warmth as Lance took a few steps back. He reasoned with himself that it wasn't because he wanted Lance close to him; he was just still a little chilled from the flight.

"To answer your questions: I got my power three months ago. Pidge got theirs around the same time, Hunk too. Right around the time Javier's rolled out this machine. We've got a few working theories right now. One - it could be cursed, or blessed depending on how you look at it, by some type of magic wielder. Hunk's girlfriend is a Wiccan, high up in her coven. She's gonna come here tomorrow after work to perform a cleansing type spell on the machine. I'm not sure what good it'll do, but it can't hurt, right? And then two - it could be some type of alien tech. But if that's the case, we've got no idea what aliens sent it and why. It's not like any of us are lucky enough to be dating an alien to ask for help... Um, what else did you ask? I guess I can try to explain exactly what happened. It was a Thursday, and I was having a crumby day. Family and work drama I'd rather not get into, plus the barista had messed up my cotton candy frappuciuno order, and -"

"Lance?" He asked, effectively cutting off the other man's rambling.

"-um, yeah?"

"Show me the machine."

"Right, sure. Follow me." Lance chuckled, motioning for Keith to follow him through the back door of the building. Javier's interior was only slightly less dingy than its outside, but the intoxicating scent of fried onions and meat was enough to make Keith's stomach rumble. To Keith's relief, the place was mostly empty, just a few customers casually nursing beers at the bar. Past the few scattered tables and bar, Keith noticed three arcade machines nestled by a set of swinging metal doors undoubtedly leading to the kitchen. The middle machine shined brighter than the others, the title "Voltron" plastered across its front. Considering the other machines were a "Ms. PacMan" and "Mortal Kombat" that had both seen better days, he knew that "Voltron" had to be the one.

"You wanna play right away?"

Keith turned to Lance, frowning once again. He didn't want to admit he was nervous but... "In a minute. Let's sit. You can tell me more about the game."

Lance shrugged and gestured to a nearby table, plopping down in the seat. Keith rolled his eyes, taking the seat opposite him. "So what's Voltron about? How do you play?"

"Hold up. You want a beer?" Without waiting for Keith's answer, he continued, "I'm gonna get us some. Be right back." Just as noisily as he sat, Lance stood and clunked up to the bar. The bartender, Keith noticed, was a dreadlocked blonde that seemed to enjoy chatting with Lance as she got their drinks, her bubbly laughter carrying across the room. A smile remained on Lance's face when he returned to his seat, and Keith tried to ignore the little stab of jealousy as the other man pushed a glass in front of him. "Just to warn you, the beer's kinda weak here. I think Rolo, the owner, waters it down."

"You know the owner?"

"Oh yeah. Rolo was my roommate in freshman year of college. We weren't super close then, still aren't, but he's an okay guy and we chat if he's here, which he's not today." He nodded back towards the bar. "Nyma's his girlfriend. She's around more often than not."

"Did you ever talk to them about the machine and what it does to people?"

"Jeez mullet, what do you take me for? No, I didn't go spilling to them about my power. A select few are privy to that information, and that's the way I intend to keep it."

"Pardon me if I'm wrong, but you are the same Lance McClain that flew to a busy landmark in Vegas and back, correct? And in broad daylight, no less."

Lance snorted. "That's different. I told you before, people don't really notice me. And the ones that do typically write it off as a trick of the eyes. I'm not about to advertise my identity and ability to the world. Because then I really would be carted off by the military or something."

"I still don't see the difference. And didn't you just say Rolo was an okay guy?"

"You're being obstinate. It is too different. Rolo is an okay guy, but that doesn't mean I trust him with this. I haven't even told my family! Just you, Pidge, Hunk, and Shay know."

Keith felt flustered. Switching back to the topic at hand, he asked, "I understand you not telling them about your ability, but did you ask them just general questions about the machine? Like where it came from?"

"That's the first thing I did...after I stopped freaking out about the whole flying thing and told my friends, of course. Rolo said he got it from a bar called Haggar's in Maine. Once we found out the specific location, Pidge sped over there and questioned the owner. Turns out that guy won it in a storage locker auction. We tried to track down more information on the storage locker and its previous owners, but the company didn't have any records. We think they either had tossed them before the auction or never bothered with them, maybe they did business under the table. But yeah..."

That was a lot of information for Keith to digest. He took a sip of his beer and nearly choked as he remembered, the a jolt, that he should and could just record their conversations. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he unlocked it and opened the recording app. After setting it up, he turned back to Lance, who drank his beer and watched Keith with curious blue eyes. "Back to my earlier question, can you tell me more about the game. As in the game itself. What's the story line? Gameplay?"

"It's simple. You pick a paladin and fight a ruthless alien army led by a psychotic cat-bat warlord."

"Um, what? Can you clarify?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "I'm trying not to overwhelm you or spoil the plot, Keithy boy. Why don't you go play it?" He stood up and offered Keith his hand; at Keith's hesitation to move, Lance leaned down and whispered, "Don't be nervous. My friends and I will help you control your new power, I promise. And even if you don't get one, I won't think you're a bad person or anything."

Much to Keith's surprise, the other man's words seemed to calm him enough to stand and approach the arcade machine. He took a deep breath before inserting a quarter and grabbing the controls. "Any tips?"

The screen flashed its name "Voltron" before loading a character selection screen. Lance spoke up, "You've got five different Paladins to choose from. They each have their strength, weaknesses, and weaponry that I can go into. But I think you should go with your gut. Who do you want to be?" As if that helped at all, Keith scoffed. Without giving it too much thought, he chose the red paladin.

"He's the wildcard, you're in for it now!"

"Darn it, Lance."

Lance beamed at him. "Okay, since you're busy playing I'm gonna order some chimichangas and another beer."

Something akin to panic bubbled in his throat, but he gulped it down. "Wait, you're not gonna stay and watch?" The 'by my side' remained unsaid.

Lance shrugged. "I figured you might want some space to experience the game yourself. But I'm fine with whatever."

"Oh, good point. Yeah you can go, I guess." Keith's body tensed when he felt one of Lance's hands on his waist, giving a gentle squeeze.

"I'll be back before you know it. Good luck." With that, he withdrew his hand and left. Keith gnawed on his lower lip as a giant red robotic lion aprepared on the screen. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so inspired by your feedback and kudos that I pumped out another chapter. Hopefully this is just as good, if not better. Lemme know what you think. ^_^ 
> 
> Thanks to everyone reading this! I'm aiming to update either every day or every other day.


	3. Game On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is on a mission to win the game, get a power, and ignore his attraction to a certain blue-eyed cutie. Also, the plot thickens!

_You pick a paladin and fight a ruthless alien army led by a psychotic cat-bat warlord. Simple. Yeah right, Lance._ Keith groaned as his lion once again took a heavy blow from said psychotic cat-bat warlord, Emperor Zarkon as he was officially named in the game. It felt like Keith had been playing for hours, long torturous hours, taking out what seemed like an endless drone army to get to this final boss battle, during which Lance hadn't returned to either his side or their table. Keith shot a glare towards the bar, annoyed to once again catch the other man ogling the bartender while stuffing his face with what appeared to be churros this time, the chimichangas long since finished. Despite the bar filling up with more patrons, he maintained a clear view of the other man and grimaced each time he caught him smiling at the pretty blonde. Lance had yet to even glance back at Keith and, for some reason Keith couldn't (wouldn't) define, such easy dismissal bothered him.

Turning back to the game, he was relieved to find Zarkon hadn't finished him off while he'd been distracted. Still, with only 20% of his health left, Keith wasn't confident in his chances at winning. Would he still get a power if he lost? Had he proved himself worthy yet? Had he already been given a power that would manifest itself after he finished? He didn't feel different; was he supposed to feel different? Curse Lance and his inability to explain anything properly, Keith thought bitterly. Shaking the troubling thoughts from his head, Keith focused on what he could control. Winning. Gripping the controls with a newfound determination, he was ready to defeat Zarkon and send him back to...wherever cat-bats came from.

Much to Keith's delight, he eventually managed to knock Zarkon down to 10% health without compromising any more of his own. The screen suddenly switched to a close-up of Zarkon, his haunting yellow eyes and sardonic smirk made the hair lightly dusting Keith's forearms stand on end. When a dialogue box appeared beneath Zarkon, Keith was prepared to read whatever the villain had to say; what he was not prepared for was the raspy voice that accompanied it.

"Even if you win here, Paladin, know that you cannot defeat me. I am Zarkon, I am Galra, I am emperor over all domains. Your world is mine. You are mine. Do you bow to your master?" A 'Y(Green Button) or N(Red Button)?' prompt followed it.

Keith jumped when a hand clapped down on his shoulder. He shivered as Lance's warm, cinnamon-laced breath whistled against his neck. "Holy quiznak, Keithy boy. What did you do to unlock this?"

Scared to tear his eyes away from the glaring warlord on the screen, Keith mumbled, "Huh?"

Lance's other hand shot out, pointing at Zarkon. Don't, Keith almost blurted out. "Dude, I've played this game at least fifty times in the past three months. I've never once gotten a screen where Zarkon threatens me like this."

He wasn't sure if it was the weight of Lance's hand on his shoulder or the awe in the other man's voice but, regardless, Keith's calm and confidence began to return. "I'm surprised everyone's not threatening you like this on a daily basis." At Lance's gasp of indignation, a small smile crossed Keith's face as he added, "Maybe you're just not as good as me."

"Listen here, mullet! I'll have you know that I've beaten this game many times."

Feeling braver as the moments passed, Keith snorted. "So I guess when I win, I'll see your name in the list of high scores?"

"Indeed you will!"

"In the top five?"

"Of course!"

"Number one?"

"W-well," Lance stuttered. Keith chanced a look back and saw an attractive flush on the other man's cheeks. Seeming to just notice how close he was to the other man, Lance took a step back. "Just finish the game already, mullet," he grumbled.

Keith chuckled before turning his attention back to the screen. Zarkon was still there and, if possible, looking more menacing, his eyes narrowed and gnarled grin stretched wider in challenge. Instead of disturbing Keith, as it had done before, he felt more determined than ever to beat this Zarkon. He tapped the red button to continue fighting and watched the villain's visage dissolve, returning to the previous battle screen with but a few differences. Whereas before he'd been flying in his lion firing at and evading Zarkon's spacecraft, now he was standing across from his nemesis on a floating platform. The warlord dwarfed the paladin, but Keith wasn't intimidated, prompting his character to draw his sword and raise his shield.

"This is so awesome!" Lance cheered. He let out a whoop as he pulled over a chair. Keith smiled and silently agreed. This was awesome...

An hour later, and he was glad he hadn't voiced that aloud. This wasn't awesome; this was a nightmare. His paladin was down to 3% health and, in the midst of trying to deflect his opponent's blows, lost his shield after Zarkon delivered a particularly nasty hit that caused it to shatter. Meanwhile, Zarkon was still at 5% health and appeared to have more energy than before to press his attacks. Lance certainly wasn't helping matters. Each time Keith suffered a hit, Lance shrieked so loud that Keith sent a silent prayer that he wasn't cursed (definitely would be cursed in this case) with super hearing. He almost wished the other man would go back to the bar and flirt with the bartender, just to give him a few moments of peace. If he lost now, Keith suspected Lance would never let him live it down. Even if Keith jumped on the first bus or plane back to the desert, the other man would no doubt fly by his side and hound him the entire time. He couldn't lose.

After taking a deep breath, Keith decided to switch tactics and go on the offensive. The red paladin was supposed to be the wildcard, right? Time to start taking some risks. He ignored Lance's gasp as he manipulated the controls, directing his paladin to jump and swing in rapid succession at his opponent. Zarkon effectively blocked several of the blows and jabs, but the ones he didn't landed hard and chipped away at his health. Keith's fingers cramped, his eyes itched from staring so intensely at the bright screen, but it didn't matter because eventually he knocked Zarkon down to 0% health. However, to his surprise, the warlord neither dropped down nor immediately disappeared in defeat. Instead, Zarkon spoke again as a matching dialogue box appeared on the screen.

"You fight like a Galra, but you cannot defeat me. You have won nothing this day, Paladin."

The screen flashed white then loaded a list of the 'High Scores.' Keith was a bit numb from Zarkon's voice, the venom in it almost palpable. He snapped back to reality when he heard Lance wail, "What?!" Focusing on the screen, he realized he was being prompted to enter his name for a top score. Unable to think up a nickname on the spot, he typed in his first name. Ignoring Lance's snicker at that, he looked at the other top scorers. Inwardly he congratulated himself on making the top five, having taken number two and thus bumped who he assumed was Lance (who else would name himself 'Ladies&LadsLuvLance'?) down to sixth place. The other names in the top five were unfamiliar to him; he turned to Lance with a questioning look.

"What?" Lance snarled, a scowl on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. When Keith gestured to the other high scorers, Lance's expression softened but his tone remained snarky as he explained them in ascending order. "MommaBear is Hunk, SpaceCrusader is Pidge's older brother Matt, Pidgeon is Pidge obviously, and... The number one isn't anyone I know."

The top scorer in question, ShiroKuru, had nearly twice the points Keith accumulated. According to the machine, ShiroKuru got said score two weeks ago. "Did you ask Rolo or Nyma about it?"

"Seriously, mullet? I'm no investigative reporter or blogger or whatever you call yourself, but this isn't my first rodeo. Of course I asked! Rolo said he came in one night alone, ordered a cherry coke, played the game, and then left, alone. The guy was here maybe a total of 20 minutes tops. He didn't talk to anyone except to get his drink, and Rolo said he tipped him $10. Guy never came back in, either. Nyma had that night off, but I asked her about the name anyways and she didn't know anything."

"Does Rolo remember what he looked like? Or anything distinct about the guy?"

Lance snorted. "Dude, the only thing Rolo cares about is how much you spend, not what color your eyes are." He paused. "But if you want, you can always talk to him directly. I can go ask Nyma if he's coming in tonight."

Keith took a moment before answering. On one hand, he really wanted to question Rolo; not that he didn't trust Lance and his friends or anything, he just felt compelled to hear it from the man himself. But on the other, he really didn't like the thought of Lance fawning over the bartender again. Logic overruled emotion as he finally said, "Yes, please. Thanks Lance."

This time he followed Lance back over to the bar, staying close behind the other man. Nyma was fortunately free, having finished serving a group of patrons at the other end. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Lance.

"Back again, handsome? The usual?"

Lance cleared his throat, nervously shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "Um, no I'm good. I was wondering, is Rolo working tonight?"

The blonde chuckled as she wiped down the wooden bar top with a rag. "He should be here by eight, but you know Rolo. Why? You plan on challenging him to another round of body shots?"

"Nyma," he hissed. "One time and I can never live it down. Jeez. Okay, thanks." Lance turned around and nearly crashed into Keith, startling when he realized he'd followed him. He muttered a "come on" and motioned for Keith to follow him back to their table. Once there, he sat and put his head on the table. "You didn't hear that, did you?"

"Hear what? That Rolo's coming in tonight? Yes."

"Don't be obtuse, Keith. The other thing."

"That you apparently did body shots with Rolo? Yes."

"Quiznak."

As much as he enjoyed Lance's embarrassment, Keith knew there were pressing matters to address. "Hey, Lance?"

"Hm?" The other man hummed, bringing himself upright.

Keith licked his lips. "I'm curious..."

"About the body shots?"

"What?! Darn it, Lance. No!" Keith felt his cheeks heat up as Lance giggled.

"Okay, then what?"

Despite their relative privacy at an emptier part of the bar, Keith leaned forward across the table and whispered, "How will I know...if I got a power?"

Lance mimicked his posture, a small smile playing on his lips. "Keith, you got two special screens in the game and outscored Pidge, the resident wunderkind, by nearly 2,000 points. Trust me, you got a power."

"Well, okay then. But how will I know what it is?"

"We've got," Lance pulled his phone from his back pocket to check the time, "two hours until Rolo gets here. That gives us plenty of time." He stood up, looking at Keith expectantly.

"To discover my power?"

"Yes, in a matter of speaking. Come on, let's get out of here."

The two exit bar, out the back door to the parking lot they'd landed in earlier. "Where are we going?"

"To meet the gang." At Keith's concerned look, Lance added, "Don't worry, I'll fly us back here before eight." Lance held out his arms to the other man, and Keith didn't hesitate to embrace him once more, tucking his head safely beneath Lance's chin as they lifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who comments and leaves kudos! You guys are awesome, it brings such a big smile to my face. I'm loving the feedback and response to this. <3 
> 
> Next chapter will feature the gang (minus a few characters) and some displays of power, including Keith's. ^_^


	4. But this is *the* Keith Kogane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Keith to meet the gang, well, most of it. Lance is an adorable mess. Shay plays hostess, Pidge is starstruck, and Hunk has terrible timing.

Less than fifteen minutes later, they landed on a flat-top roofed building. Keith tried not to let his disappointment show as he detached himself from Lance; he absolutely did not enjoy holding onto the other man, he assured himself. Ignoring his smiling companion, Keith scanned their surroundings and tried to figure out where they were. A business of some kind obviously, but what? He neared the edge of the rooftop, taking a quick glance below and spotting a shiny black jeep in an otherwise small, empty parking lot. There was a sign on the building front that unfortunately he couldn't see from this angle. The surrounding buildings - a shoe store, daycare, pharmacy, and fast-food joint - gave no indication of their location.

Taking a step back and turning to Lance, who still had that smug smile on his face, Keith finally caved. "So where are we?"

"You'll see. Come on," Lance beckoned for the other man to follow as he walked to the other end of the roof. Keith's eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw the fixed access ladder on the side of the building. He let Lance go down first, following a respectable distance behind.

He waited until they both reached the pavement before asking, "Why didn't you just land us down here?"

"Dude," Lance scowled, "You were nagging me about not being discrete with my power earlier; I'm trying to be considerate."

"Right," Keith rolled his eyes, his temper rising. "Maybe next you can try being straight forward with me, especially when I ask you a question. I swear, I've never met anyone as evasive as you - and I've interviewed Mothman! He's the king of misdirection, well, former king became now you've taken the crown."

"I'm tempted to say the 'making you mine would be my crowning achievement' pickup line, but I won't since you're shooting me a death glare..."

"You just did, idiot."

"I'm also gonna ignore that. Although seriously, rude. I flew all the way out to Vegas to pick you up and bring you to a magic arcade machine that has no doubt bestowed some amazing power on you that will trump mine. And, and! I even bought you a beer. I don't expect you to bow before me - despite my apparent king-hood - but maybe you could cut me some slack." Just when Keith thought Lance was done ranting, the other man blurted out, "I'm nervous!"

Keith felt heat creep up on his own cheeks when Lance started blushing. He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at their feet. Lance's sneakers were bright white despite signs of use, various wear and tear around the toes; Keith could picture the other man wiping them down, shining them, trying to make them last and keep up appearances. Meanwhile, as he took in the state of his own footwear, he rarely spared a thought on his ragged, mud-crusted boots. Maybe he should, Keith mused. Wasn't how we care for our shoes supposed to reflect how we treat others? His lips twisted in a rueful smile before he chanced a look up at Lance.

The other man's brow furrowed at the shift in Keith's demeanor. "Sorry, I uh...I blather when I'm nervous. Like I don't know you very well, but I like you, not like like well sorta but...I'm also still getting used to my power and being, you know, comfortable talking about it. I don't mean to frustrate you. I really need your help figuring this all out." He nodded at the building behind them. "This is Shay's shop. I brought you here to hopefully meet the others but also because it's a relatively safe place to talk and figure out your power."

Maybe it was the sincerity in Lance's voice, or maybe it was the slight sheen to his vivid blue eyes - regardless, Keith was humbled and...some emotion unfamiliar to him. Before he could overthink it, he reached out a hand and gently patted Lance's shoulder, silently marveling how broad the other man's shoulders were. "Thank you."

Lance stuttered and motioned for Keith to follow him, the two men wandering around to the front of the shop. Keith took in the ornate, calligraphic sign - "Spiritual Awakenings" - and the two window boxes overflowing with small, delicate, purple flowers. The scent of sandalwood and cinnamon flooded him as they entered the shop. It was warm and soothing, much like the interior decor, muted shades of orange and brown adorning the walls and (few) furniture, the shelves lined with books, statues, and other assorted knickknacks. The only thing that looked out of place in the shop - besides Keith and Lance - was the sophisticated tablet register system seated on a wooden counter. A beaded curtain that Keith assumed led to a back room jiggled, a woman emerging from behind it a moment later. Tall, tan, svelte, and silver-blonde, she was gorgeous. Was this Shay? Keith wondered. He turned to Lance, who looked dumbstruck, mouth agape, eyes wide; Keith found it more comical than obnoxious. But, he reasoned, this definitely couldn't be Shay, because he doubted Lance was the type of guy to blatantly gawk at his friend's girlfriend. Although, Keith remembered with disdain, Lance had ogled Nyma...

Keith didn't realize another person emerged from behind the curtain until he heard someone call out, "Hi, Lance!" This must be Shay, he thought as he studied the second woman. Whereas the blonde looked like a runway model, Shay reminded him of the pinup girls in tattoo magazines: curvy, full-sleeve tattoos on both arms connecting seamlessly to the intricate chest tattoo her tank top showed off, large gauges in her ears, and double cheek piercings giving her charming dimples as she smiled. Yet despite her alternative appearance, Shay gave off a very...earthy, serene sort of vibe. Keith instantly liked her.

The pretty blonde, however, he could do without. Keith tried not to scowl as Lance stared at her, especially since she wasn't doing anything to encourage the attention. But, he thought bitterly, she wasn't discouraging it, either. Fortunately, Shay saved both him and Lance from any potential embarrassment.

"Lemme walk you out, Allura. Give me a second, guys." Shay smiled at them both as she escorted the other woman, Allura, to the front door. The girls shared a quick hug before they parted ways. When Shay returned to them, she held out a hand to Keith. "Since Lance still looks a little dumbfounded," she ignored Lance's cry of indignation at that, continuing, "let me introduce myself. My name is Shay, welcome to Spiritual Awakenings."

Keith chuckled and shook her hand. "I'm Keith. Thanks, it's nice to meet you. I like your shop."

"Are you here for anything in particular? This week we're having a sale on candles and ceremonial daggers. Or maybe you'd interested in a palm reading? I do those out back."

Before Keith could answer her, Lance seemed to recover and interjected, "We're not here for any of that, Shay. Can we borrow your reading room for an hour? We need some place quiet to...talk."

Shay's smile dropped. "Listen Lance, I love you, but I refuse to let you pervert this place's aura for a date." She gave Keith a once-over. "No matter how hot he is. No offense, Keith."

While her words seemed to go over Keith's head, Lance appeared to understand them all too clearly. He screeched, flailing his arms frantically. "What?! NO! Holy quiznak! Shay, this is Keith Kogane - the blogger that writes about alien conspiracies and Bigfoot and stuff."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Keith shrugged, still not certain what she was apologizing for. Shay gasped, "But what are you doing with a guy like Lance?"

"Hey!"

Keith ignored the flustered man and explained, "He took me to play 'Voltron.' We're trying to kill a few hours before Rolo comes in tonight; I wanna talk to him about the arcade machine and the high scorer from a few weeks back. Since bar's kinda noisy, Lance suggested we hang here. Is this not a good time? We can go."

"Of course you guys can stay. I can make you some tea, do you like tea, Keith? I have chamomile and green tea."

"I'd love some chamomile. "

"I'd love some chamomile," Lance mimicked after Shay headed out back. Keith shot him a look that had the other man snickering. "You sure laid on the charm with Shay."

"Jealous?"

"Of you? Pfft, never!"

"If you boys are done flirting, come on back. Tea's ready." The guys walked through the beaded curtain, each taking a seat at the small table. A crystal ball made up the centerpiece, an ornate silver tea set to its side. As Shay poured the tea, she asked, "So Keith, you already played 'Voltron'?"

"Yes." He nodded thanks when she handed him a cup. "It was fun."

"You should've seen him, Shay. Keith owned that game. He unlocked two secret screens with Zarkon and, just when it looked like he was gonna get creamed, he pulled out these ninja moves and defeated ol' grumpy cat-bat."

"Lance," Keith blushed.

The other man added, "He knocked Pidge out of second place, too. It was so awesome!"

Shay smiled at Keith's fluster and Lance's obliviousness. "What power did you end up getting?"

"Oh, um..."

"That's part of why we're here, Shay. We don't know what he's got yet."

"If I got one," Keith mumbled.

"He definitely got one," Lance insisted.

"Okay, okay. How can we find out?"

Lance frowned in deep thought. "Well, mine didn't show until about an hour after I'd first played the game. It wasn't even full-fledged flight, I just started floating. It was so scary; one minute I'm stumbling over my feet and trying to call Hunk for a ride, the next I'm three feet up in the air, flapping my arms like a deranged bird." He perked up at the others' laughs. "I figure Keithy boy's power is due to manifest within the next half-hour. I can't wait to see what it's gonna be. Maybe he'll shoot lasers from his eyes!"

"Yeah, or maybe not. I don't think my insurance covers that kind of damage," Shay deadpanned.

"Or maybe I don't have one..."

"Stop fighting it, mullet. You're one of us now."

Lance's assurance made Keith feel giddy inside. However, he wasn't about to tell that to the other man; he'd never let him live it down. "Shay, do you have a power?"

"I've never played 'Voltron,' so I don't have the kind you're thinking of. I'm happy with the organic power I draw from nature and myself, I don't need to add to it." Keith nodded, secretly admiring Shay's quiet strength and confidence.

"Lance mentioned you're gonna perform a cleansing spell on the machine tomorrow?"

Shay nodded, drinking her tea. "My theory is that 'Voltron' is enchanted to alter the natural energies its players possess, greatly affecting only those that are sensitive to the metaphysical. I've been working on a spell for the past six weeks. I even consulted some of the heads of sister covens, discreetly of course. I finally think I have the right elements to perform something successful."

"Plus, Tuesdays are slow at Javier's and we all have the day off."

"That, too. Will you be coming with us, Keith?"

Keith took a big gulp of his tea, trying to ignore the sparkling blue and golden brown sets of eyes watching him. Being a freelance - emphasis on the free - writer had its benefits, one of which is that he could work from virtually (and literally) anywhere. He looked to Lance, his heart fluttering at the hopeful expression on the other man's face.

"Yeah, I will." When Lance smiled in response, Keith knew he'd made the right call.

"If you need a place to stay while you're in town, you're welcome to crash at our house. Hunk and I recently renovated the guest bedroom," Shay offered. Lance frowned at her but remained silent.

A thought occurred to Keith. "Speaking of Hunk...when am I going to meet the rest of the gang?"

Lance pulled out his phone, checking the time. "Pidge should be speeding over here any second, their last class of the day is finishing as I speak. As for Hunk?" Lance turned to Shay in question.

"Oh, he's running a few errands but I'm sure he'll be here in time to meet you, Keith, before you both head back to Javier's."

Super speed...and super hearing? Keith wondered as the front door slammed open and shut, a gust of wind rushing past their faces. He blinked when what was once a blur turned out to be a thin, pale, androgynous person. They pulled out a pair of glasses from - Keith almost couldn't believe his eyes - a fannypack around their tiny waist. "Hey guys, what'd I miss?" Their eyes widened when they noticed Keith. "OH MY GOD! What is _the_ Keith Kogane doing here?"

"Pidge, calm down," Lance chuckled. "Remember how we talked about reaching out to Keith for help with 'Voltron'?"

"I do. I also remember he wouldn't give you the time of day. What'd you do to change his mind?" Lance suggestively wiggled his brows at them, causing Pidge to snort. "He's a geek god, Lance. And look at him - he looks like a Greek god, well, maybe a Korean/Greek god. I doubt he'd fall for your attempts at charm."

"Hey! The ladies and lads love Lance, and you know it." He shot fingerguns at his friend.

Pidge rolled their eyes, turning to Keith. "What really happened?"

"Oh, well he wasn't giving up so I just figured I'd get rid of him faster if I let him tell me his story." Keith noticed Lance's hurt expression and hurried on, "But when I heard about 'Voltron' and what it did to him, I had to know if it was true. So he flew to Vegas, picked me up, and we went to Javier's. I saw and played 'Voltron,' and then we came here to talk more about what's going on."

Keith was as surprised as the others when Pidge suddenly punched Lance in the arm. "You took him to play without me?!"

"Ouch, careful Pidgeon!" Lance pulled back, rubbing furiously at his arm. "I would've texted you, but I know you don't like being bothered during class."

"Lance, this is _the_ Keith Kogane. I would take a sabbatical from grad school, no questions asked, for this man - I definitely would've skipped biochem to see him win 'Voltron.''" They looked at Keith. "You did win, right?"

"Yeah."

"Lance told me he crushed your score and took number two," Shay piped in happily. Lance glared at her, concerned Pidge would lash out at him again.

"Of course he did, he's _the_ Keith Kogane!"

"You know, you don't have to keep referring to me like that," Keith muttered.

"Yeah, Pidge. Mullet puts his pants on one leg at a time, like the rest of us," Lance grinned. "He totally owned Zarkon, too. Unlocked a couple of special screens and everything."

"Wow," Pidge's voice was filled with wonder. "So, what's your power?"

When Keith opened his mouth, Lance cut him off. "Don't you dare mumble that 'if I got a power' garbage again. Pidge, it hasn't shown yet. That's why we're here, waiting to see what happens."

"Sweet, at least I get to witness something."

The others continued to speak around him, but Keith felt himself zoning out. All this talk of powers, the waiting for his to show...it was getting to him. Something akin to panic pulsed through his body. _What if he did shoot lasers from his eyes? He might burn the building down and everyone around him, unless Pidge and Lance were fast enough to get themselves and Shay out in time. But what if they weren't?_ Dots appeared before his eyes as Keith started breathing heavily, his hands turning clammy. Distantly, he could heard a muffled voice saying his name, he wasn't sure who. Keith stood abruptly, stammering, "I need some air." Without waiting for a response or reaction from the others, he hastily made his way out the front door.

Once outside, Keith hunched over and took deep breaths, nearly collapsing on the pavement. He tried to focus on anything but the panic - on his breathing, on the mild temperature, on the darkness that'd fallen since they'd arrived at Shay's shop. Pulling himself up, he looked to the sky and tried to spot any stars. Yes, he told himself, think of the brilliant, shining stars...brilliant and shining like Lance's eyes. Keith slowly began to calm down, closing his own eyes as a soothing warmth enveloped him.

"Yo, buddy?" A deep, unfamiliar voice startled Keith, his eyes flying open to face a tall, stocky man. The newcomer's dark, shaggy hair brushed the collar of his jacket, an orange headband holding back bangs and giving Keith a clear view of the kind, albeit confused, look on his face.

"What?" Keith managed to croak out.

"You're lit."

Keith looked down at his glowing hands and forearms, the hysteria from earlier rushing back to smother him. "Fu..." He began to curse, before panic got the better of him and he passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up a tad longer than the previous ones. I hope it doesn't drag for anyone reading. 
> 
> Next chapter will feature more Hunk, Pidge, and displays of power. (I was going to show off Keith's more this time around but he was not cooperating...)
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks again to everyone for the comments, kudos, and clicks on this story. You're the best! <3


	5. Of Hugs and Flirts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Hunk bond. Lance turns up the charm. And then there's Rolo...

Even before he opened his eyes, Keith was very much aware of two things. One: a strong pair of arms was cradling him to a solid, broad chest. Two: while unconscious, he'd drooled heavily on the soft cotton shirt covering said chest. Mortified, he tried to remain relaxed in hopes that the other person - he assumed was the newcomer, since it definitely wasn't Lance - wouldn't notice.

But evidently, he'd failed. "Buddy, you okay?" The arms around him slackened slightly, forcing Keith to catch himself lest he jerk backward. Keith groaned and met the other man's eyes, feeling both relieved and embarrassed to see the empathy there.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

The other man chuckled. "No need to apologize! I'm just glad I caught you in time, otherwise you might've hurt yourself. Hey, you were breathing heavy when you stepped out of Shay's. Was it the incense? Sometimes it triggers my allergies, too, depending on what blend she's using. On poppy and gardenia days, I have to pop a Benadryl otherwise I can't go near this place. I think I have some in my car, do you want me to...?"

Keith shook his head frantically, pushing fully out of the other man's arms and straightening his posture. "I hope you weren't stuck holding me for long, deadweight and all."

"Nah, you're good. I'm happy it wasn't anything major. I'm also happy you stopped glowing, that would've made things awkward if you'd needed an ambulance," the other man flashed Keith a smile.

Glowing...Keith blanched and frantically held them up his hands, breathing a sigh of relief when he confirmed they were back to normal. Taking advantage of the easy access, the other man grabbed one of Keith's to shake, "You're either Lance's new boyfriend, or you're that blogger Keith he's been trying to contact. Or...both? I'm Hunk."

 _Wait, Lance had a boyfriend?_ Keith forced himself to push that alarming thought aside and mumbled, "Yeah, nice to meet you."

"Want me to text Lance and let him know you're okay? I'm assuming you came here with him, and he went in storyteller mode so he totally missed the cues that the strong smell and smoke bothered you. I apologize for Lance, he can be a bit clueless but he's really a good guy."

"Um, Hunk?" Keith confessed, "The incense didn't bother me, least not directly. I started feeling overwhelmed as they talked about powers, specifically what mine could be. I was so worried my ability would turn out to be something dangerous to people around me. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you guys."

Hunk suddenly pulled Keith back into his arms, nearly knocking the wind out of the smaller man as he coddled him against his chest. "Just accept the hug," he pleaded as Keith squirmed in his hold. "It's as much for me as it is for you." When Keith stilled, Hunk confessed, "We've all been there, Keith. I cried when I found out what happened to Lance, he was the first you know? And not happy tears, either. I was so scared my best friend was going to float too high one day and be lost forever, or come crashing down and splat on the pavement. Then Pidge got theirs, too, and I started worrying that they'd pull a Flash and zoom into the future or break reality. When they both asked me to play 'Voltron,' I threw up. Literally. For days before I finally caved. I knew that, whether I got a power or not, my friends needed me to experience the game for myself, because they were scared, too, and they needed me to understand. I was lucky enough to have them by my side when my power manifested. I know we're not friends - you hardly know us - but we've got your back, Keith."

Keith blinked away the moisture from his eyes, listening to the steady thrum of Hunk's heartbeat against his ear. "I'm scared, too," he admitted. "Although I guess it could be worse, my hands and arms just glow apparently."

"Don't freak out, but you did more than that."

"What?!"

"Relax, buddy." Hunk hushed Keith and rubbed his back in circular motions, like a mother would an errant child. Much to Keith's chargin, it worked.

"Please, what else did I do? I thought I stopped once I passed out."

"You did. But right before that, your whole body lit up."

"So I became a human nightlight?"

"More like a supernova. It was actually kind of breathtaking, though a bit blinding." He turned his head, looking back at the shop. "They must be in the back room, too bad they missed it."

Or not, Keith thought. He reluctantly let go when Hunk released him, letting the other man step back and pull out his cellphone from his jacket pocket. After Hunk shot out a text, he kept his distance but gave Keith a small, comforting smile. A few moments later, the front door flung open as Pidge came speeding out, skidding to a stop next to Hunk. Lance and Shay followed, tapering off whatever conversation they'd been having. Keith blushed when Lance winked at him. Given the casual behavior of the others, Keith realized Hunk didn't tell them about Keith's meltdown; he shot Hunk a look of thanks.

"It's a nice night, huh? You guys were smart to chill outside. How long ago did you get here, man?" Lance asked Hunk.

Hunk shrugged. "Not long."

"Did Keith tell you we already went to Javier's? He killed it at 'Voltron.' We're gonna head back there in a little while to talk to Rolo, but I wanted him to meet the gang first." Both Hunk and Keith shared a look when Lance added, "We're also waiting to see what his power is."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Did you show him yours?"

"No."

"Why the quiznak not?"

"Lance, you know I can't do it out here. What if someone happened to drive by and see?"

Keith leaned in curiously. He hadn't been thinking of it before, but now he wanted to know what the big man could do.

"Pidge," Lance jerked his thumb towards the speedster, "bolts down these streets every day. And I'm always up in the sky. No one notices us."

"That we know of," Pidge admitted. "I mean, I can run so fast that even the most sensitive of cams and sensors can't detect anything beyond a small blur, but you've probably popped up in who knows how many satellite feeds and images on the web."

"Now that you mention it, I think I spotted him in a Google Maps snapshot of downtown LA," Hunk said.

"And I think I spotted him in the background of a Kardashian selfie on Twitter," Shay giggled.

"Hey!" Lance blushed as the others laughed. "I'm not that bad."

"You're the worst," Keith said with a smile, leaning his head on the other man's shoulder. Lance's expression turned slightly less huffy as he mirrored Keith's smile.

Pidge cleared their throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Since it may be troublesome to show Keith your power, why not just tell him?"

"Because Pidge," Hunk whined, "once he knows what it is, he's gonna want to see it."

"Well, it is cool," Pidge conceded.

"Is it something you can show me inside?" Keith gestured to the store.

Hunk and Shay shook their heads simultaneously.

"He'll destroy my shop."

"Yeah, I'll destroy her shop."

"Now I have to know what it is," Keith pleaded, pouting his lower lip like a little kid in hopes it'd sway Hunk.

"Hunk, how can you say 'no' to this face?" Lance cried. "If you won't tell him, I will!"

Pidge echoed the sentiment and threw in their own pouty look. Hunk turned to Shay, sighing when he saw a similar expression on hers, too. "Fine," he relented. "I can turn in to a bear."

Keith's eyes widened as the words sunk in. Excitedly, he asked, "Really?! Like an actual bear or a bear-human hybrid?"

"Both."

"Holy fu- quiznak! Can you do a partial transformation, like just the claws? Or is it full-blown each time?"

"Full-blown. I don't think it's possible to partial shift, not that I'd want to. If I'm gonna be a bear, I'm going all out."

"Hunk's literally our momma bear," Lance proclaimed proudly.

Keith's cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. "Can we go somewhere so you can show me? Please?!"

"I dunno, buddy..."

"You've seen my power. Come on!"

"WHAT?!" Lance, Shay, and Pidge screamed. Keith flinched at the shock, disappointment, and outrage in their respective voices.

"I never get to see anything good!" Pidge wailed. They turned and punched Lance in the arm again, causing the lanky man to wince and duck behind Keith.

"Hey, I missed out, too! Hunk's the one we should be mad at!"

"I didn't command him to do it, it just happened!"

"Lance, I'm sure your boyfriend will show you his power later," Shay consoled him with a gentle pat to the opposite arm.

Keith tried to deny the boyfriend statement but it fell on deaf ears as the other three continued to squabble. Eventually he gave up and simply waited for them to stop, crossing his arms over his chest. When they'd quieted down, Keith reworded his earlier request. "So Hunk, is there someplace we can go so you can show me your ability?"

"Our place is probably the safest."

"But it's an hour out of the way! We need to head back to Javier's soon," Lance whined.

"What about the dog park? That's just a 5-10 minute drive away." Pidge asked. They sped off in a blur only to reappear almost instantaneously. "I just checked, there's no one there now."

Hunk looked uncomfortable at the suggestion and, fortunately, Shay became the voice of reason. She turned to Keith. "How about this: you and Lance go meet up with Rolo and, whenever you finish, come to our place? Hunk can transform for you, and then you can get settled in the guest bedroom. And Lance can stay over, too, if he wants."

"Sounds good. What do you think, La-ance?" Keith startled when the other man draped himself along his back. Lance's breath tickled the side of his neck as he answered, "Works for me. Should we get going?"

Pidge piped up before Keith could respond, "Yes, we should."

"You're coming, too?" Lance glared, pulling away from Keith to face the speedster. "Don't you have homework or something to do?"

"Nope. As much as I'm loathe to play chaperone on your date," Pidge gestured between Keith and Lance, ignoring their scoffs, "I actually want to participate in questioning Rolo; Lance did it solo last time. Assuming you're okay with that, Keith?"

"Of course." Keith turned to Shay and Hunk. "Would you guys like to come?"

"I've got to close up shop, then Hunk and I are going to have our own date night." Shay winked up at her boyfriend, giggling when he wrapped an arm around her waist. The others gagged at their shows of affection, which only made the couple more handsy.

"So adorable it's sickening," Pidge mumbled. They then turned to Keith and Lance. "Ready to head out?"

Lance and Keith exchanged a look, the latter answering, "Yeah, let's go."

"Excellent, I'll race ya!" Pidge shot off before either man could respond, a gust of wind nearly knocking everyone over in their wake. After saying their goodbyes to Hunk and Shay - and promising again to stop by their house later - Lance grabbed ahold of Keith and soared to the sky.

The flight back to Javier's was uneventful, the landing anything but as Lance, in a panic upon seeing a group of people loitering in the parking lot, descended so quickly that he nearly crashed into a dumpster in the nearby alley.

"Jeez Lance, try to be more careful!" Keith screeched, looking down at his clothes and brushing off some dirt.

"I was careful, I meant to do that!"

"You meant to almost kill us?"

"No, you big baby!" Lance scowled, lowering his voice before explaining, "I meant to land in that alley, to avoid being seen by those goons in the parking lot. We landed exactly in the spot I aimed for, as always. They don't call me the tailor for nothing."

"Huh?" Keith raised an eyebrow.

"You know, because I thread the needle. Keith, don't look at me like that."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Let's just go inside and find Pidge."

Keith was shocked when they opened the door to Javier's; what earlier looked like a quaint watering hole for the neighborhood now rivaled any bar off the Las Vegas Strip, its capacity no doubt well beyond max and noise level grating on the ears. Luckily, Pidge rushed out and slammed the door shut behind them.

"Phew, you finally made it! It's a madhouse in there. there's no way we'll be able to have a conservation with Rolo over all the noise. What should we do?"

Lance pulled out his own phone, briefly typed something, then slipped it back into his pocket. At Keith and Pidge's questioning looks, he smiled. "Nyma's gonna cover the bar so Rolo can pop out to talk to us."

"Great." Keith leaned against the side of the building, wondering how long it'd actually take Rolo to come outside. Given the brief glimpse he'd had of the crowd, he wouldn't have been surprised if it took several minutes. He was pleased when a man strolled outside a moment later. His relief soured, however, when Rolo immediately hugged Lance and reached down to lightly squeeze his butt.

"Hey, handsome. It's been a while." Rolo only had eyes for Lance, not sparing a glance to either of the other two people near them. Keith supposed Rolo was good looking, if one was into scruffy, buff blondes with bedroom eyes - which _he_ wasn't.

"Hey, Rolo." Lance gestured to his friends. "Keith, Pidge, and I wanted to ask you a few more questions about 'Voltron.' That okay?"

Rolo finally looked at the others, his eyes lingering a moment on Keith before turning back to Lance. "Sure, but I can only spare a couple of minutes though; don't want the crowd to overwhelm my girl."

"No problem, we'll try not to keep you long. Keith?"

"Oh." Keith felt nervous now that he had everyone, including Rolo's, attention. "Lance told me you got the machine from a place called Haggar's in Maine...?"

"Is that a question?"

"I'm surprised you'd buy a machine from somewhere so far away. Were you looking for 'Voltron' specifically?"

"Not really," Rolo shrugged. "I had the space and demand for a third machine, so I looked around online for something fun and affordable. 'Voltron' fit the bill."

"Had you ever played it before? Or since you bought it?"

"I'm not into games, least not the arcade ones. I'm more of a billiards man, but Javier's doesn't have the space for that."

"Did the previous owners mention anything unusual about the machine?"

"No, should they have?" Rolo directed his next comments to Lance, "You sure ask a lot of questions about 'Voltron.' I'm starting to think you've got a fetish or some other dark secret." Lance paled.

Pidge stepped forward. "You know how Lance is, he fixates on something then flits away once he's had his fill."

"I dunno, I've known Lance to come back for seconds, thirds, and so on when he really likes something - or some _one_."

Keith didn't like the lewd implication and opened his mouth to tell off Rolo, but Lance seemed to sense this and spoke up first. "Enough about me, back to 'Voltron!' Say, you wouldn't happen to remember what that dude, ShiroKuru, who got the ridiculously high score, looked like?"

"Hmm...he kept his jacket and gloves on the entire time he was here, that's kinda strange I guess. His hair was dark, I remember he had a bleached streak in the fringe. He looked to be around our age. I can't recall anything else; like I said last time, the guy wasn't here long."

"Okay. If he comes by again, could you or Nyma text me?"

"You looking to become his groupie or something, McClain?"

"Actually, it's for me," Keith butted in. "I want to challenge him to a game, see if he can pull off a high score like that again. I don't know if you noticed, but I beat out Pidge for second place today."

"Nyma told me. I guess I could keep an eye out for him; any friend of Lance is a friend of mine." He didn't look particularly friendly, but Keith wasn't going to push it.

"Thanks man, you're the best." Lance clapped Rolo on the shoulder. "We don't wanna take up any more of your time, you've got a busy night ahead of you."

"No problem, Lance. Don't be a stranger." Rolo gave Keith and Pidge a nod in acknowledgement before he headed back inside the busy bar.

Pidge waited until the door closed before saying, "So Rolo's a bit of a sleaze, but at least he provided some new information." Lance nodded in agreement.

"But does it help us?" Keith mused. "ShiroKuru's description might only be useful if he shows up here again. If he was from out-of-town, we may never find him. I do think Rolo was telling the truth about not playing 'Voltron,' but I also think he might know more about the machine than he's letting on."

"If Rolo knew about the powers it gifts, he would've told me. Or, he would've told Nyma who definitely would've told me," Lance insisted. "He's my friend, mullet."

"Apparently he's our friend now, too. But you're probably right. I just get the feeling that he's hiding something; I suppose it might be something insignificant."

"Most likely. You could be feeling that way because he was checking out your man."

"Pidge!" Both men chided the speedster.

"I don't know what we really accomplished tonight, but it was better than watching 'How I Met Your Mother' reruns with Matt." Pidge saluted her friends. "I should get home, though. Keith, Lance, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Fly safe."

After the speedster took off, Keith turned to Lance. "I guess we should go to Hunk and Shay's now."

"The night's still young, Keithy boy." Lance grinned. "You up for a little adventure?"

"Lance, I've been on an adventure with you since you picked me up this afternoon."

"Let me rephrase that: Are you up for a little more adventure?"

Keith flushed from the intensity of Lance's gaze but didn't hesitate to answer, "Always." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote and rewrote this chapter several times. Hopefully you guys enjoyed how it turned out. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	6. A Different Kind of 'Adventure'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance bond as they confront some important issues

When Lance said 'adventure,' Keith wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. The trip took them up the coastline, and they'd spent much of it in comfortable silence. Eventually they landed on what looked like a secluded beach with a...waterfall? The light of the full moon danced off the waves gently crashing against the rocks, and Keith marveled at the enchanting ocean view. He pulled out of the other man's arms and spun around, gasping as he took it all in.

Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away and looked up at Lance, who was watching him with a small smile. "What is this place?"

"Wildcat Beach, my favorite place on Earth. Ever since I got my power, I fly here whenever I've got a lot on my mind. There's something about this," Lance waved his arms, "that helps me figure it out."

"Oh. Are we here because of tonight, what we learned about 'Voltron'?"

"Yes and no." Lance snickered when Keith glared at him. "Sorry, sorry. Why don't we take a walk down the beach? I promise I'll explain." He held a hand out to Keith, smiling brightly at the other man when he took it.

After they took a few steps, Lance admitted, "This isn't about me tonight, Keith. I brought us here for you."

"Huh?"

"A lot has happened since this morning, man. I literally came flying in, upended your life, and dropped you into this mess. Now you've got a power - I still don't know what it is, btw - and we're not really much closer to the truth about 'Voltron.' That's a lot to weigh on your mind, you gotta work it out. If you don't want to talk, you don't have to; we can stand by the waterfall, stargaze, whatever you need."

It wasn't often Keith was left speechless, but he found himself fumbling over how to respond. The fervent sincerity in his voice and the warm press of his palm against his own were almost overwhelming; there was a lot on his mind, first most that there was clearly a lot more to Lance McClain than pomp and goofiness. He thought over what he knew about the other man, surprised to realize it wasn't much. Lance was nice to look at, sure, but the only constituted a small part of his appeal. He flew, flirted, and had great friends. And despite being out of his depth, Lance continued to pursue the truth about his power and the mysterious machine that granted it. Keith couldn't deny he was in awe of the other man, and he longed to know more.

By the time they reached the base of the waterfall, Keith realized he was on the verge of panic. But unlike earlier at Shay's shop, he didn't have the urge to escape - if anything, he wanted dive in and drown in the sensation. Here with Lance, in this breathtaking setting, he felt safe. With that in mind, he spoke, "I light up."

Lance, who'd been silently admiring the waterfall, startled. He turned to look at Keith, brows drawn in confusion. "Huh?"

"My power is... I light up, at least I did earlier. It was just my hands and arms, but Hunk told my whole body lit before I fainted."

"Hold on. You fainted? Why didn't you say tell me before?"

"It's fine, I was fine. It's not important."

"Yes, it is important. Why did you faint, Keith?"

Keith withdrew his hand from Lance's, feeling his cheeks flush as he sheepishly admitted, "I had a panic attack. It's not like an everyday or regular thing for me, but it can sometimes happen if I'm overly stressed."

"Quiznak!" Lance looked away and began to pace, running his hands through his hair. "I wish you'd told me before I dragged you into this. I would've done things differently, man. I would've waited to take you to 'Voltron.' And I was such a jerk at Shay's, wasn't I? I kept pressing you about your power. I shouldn't have done that, it triggered you."

"Lance, it's okay. You didn't know, and it's not like you deliberately tried to hurt me."

Instead of calming the other man, as Keith had hoped, his response only seemed to set him off more. Lance's voice cracked as he said, "I really did hurt you, didn't I? I'm so sorry, Keith. I promise to do better, if you'll let me. I'll be more mindful of your feelings, I'll watch my stupid mouth."

"Stop!" Keith interrupted Lance, unable to take his broken ramble. "I appreciate your apology, but it's not necessary. I don't need you to treat me with kiddie gloves, Lance; I mostly manage my stress well. But like you said, a lot has happened since this morning. Cut us both some slack, okay?" He reached out and grabbed ahold of Lance's hand again, giving it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. "I like you just the way you are, stupid mouth included."

When Lance dropped his head to Keith's shoulder and started shaking, Keith worried for a moment that he'd made the other man cry. As soon as he heard the giggles, however, he rolled his eyes and shoved Lance back. "You're an idiot."

Lance beamed at him. "And you, babe, light up my life."

"Speaking of...can you teach me how to control it? I don't want to start glowing at an inopportune time or anything."

"Of course. Based off what Hunk, Pidge, and I have experienced, we believe you have to will your power to happen for it to, well, happen. As long as something is within the scope of your ability, you can do it. Like if I want to fly, I think about it and then I can do it. Same thing goes for when I want to land."

"Hunk told me you were the first to get a power. But you didn't know how the powers work, so how did you get to fly in the first place?"

"I told you, I was trying to get a ride home from Javier's. I'd had a few too many drinks, made a fool out of myself hitting on and striking out with some chick, and I just wanted out of there. That's why I started to float, my power was trying to literally lift me out of there."

"When my power manifested, I was mid-panic. I was actually hoping it wouldn't happen, because I was scared it'd be something dangerous," Keith confessed.

"Or were you? It's not that you didn't really want a power, you just wanted it to be safe. So it showed up as something harmless, hence the glowworm act." Lance hummed thoughtfully. "Dude, you know what this means, right?" Keith shook his head, prompting the other man to say, "You might actually be able to shoot lasers from your eyes if you will it."

"No."

"But Keithy!"

"NO."

"One day you're gonna want to try it, wait and see...I just hope I get to see it." Whereas Lance's former comment was meant to tease, the latter was spoken softly, more of a plea. Keith met the other man's eyes and flushed at the want he saw in them. That desire resurfaced, to take the plunge and be vulnerable in front of Lance; and just like before, he embraced it.

Keith shut his eyes and willed himself to glow, smiling as a delicate warmth blossomed across his skin. When he felt the brush of soft lips against his own, murmuring the word 'beautiful,' he didn't hesitate to press in for more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wildcat Beach / Alamere Falls is such a romantic setting, totally fitting for these boys. If you've never been, I recommend googling it. ^_^
> 
> Next up: Hunk demonstrates his ability, Shay performs a spell, and klangst
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	7. Dinner And A Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance head to Hunk and Shay's place, and Hunk shows off his power.

Keith was no stranger to experiencing magical moments, most of them came with his job. Meeting Mothman, getting chased by Bigfoot, and being nearly drowned by a mermaid, to name a few. However, there was something about kissing Lance McClain that topped them all. As far as kisses go, it was quite tame compared to what Keith was used to, just a chaste rubbing of closed lips, but it made his toes curl within his boots in pleasure.

And just like all those other magical moments, it ended far too soon. A buzzing noise caused Lance to jolt and pull back; Keith's eyes snapped open as he watched the other man pull his cellphone from his back pocket. Lance looked at the screen then shot him a sheepish grin. "Hunk just texted me. He wants to know when we're heading over."

At Lance's questioning look, Keith said, "Oh, um. Should we go now?"

"Sure." Lance typed in a response and, after a moment, chuckled when his phone buzzed again. "He asked us to bring ice cream. Looks like we'll be making a side trip to a market or convenient store. Come on." He pulled Keith into his arms, waiting until the other man had a firm grip on him before taking off.

Unlike on their previous trip, the silence that fell between the two felt strained, at least to Keith. He didn't know Lance well, but it was obvious the other man's mind was miles away. Was it the kiss? He wondered. Did he regret it? (Keith prayed not.) Whatever the reason, Lance's flying was suffering; he jostled Keith several times with his sharp shifting and dips, and the other man had had enough.

"Are we almost there yet?"

"Jeez, mullet, what are you? A five year old?"

"You've been flying kinda awkwardly for a while now. Is it because of the dark? It's definitely harder to see now, even I'm having trouble distinguishing specific places from up here. Do you need me to light the way?"

Lance's hands tightened on Keith's waist as he shot look the other man a look of irritation. "No thanks, Rudolph. This isn't my first time flying at night, and I know exactly where I'm going. Tailor. Needle. Threaded."

"Then please be a little more careful with your flying; I think I've got a bruise on my side from all the times you've elbowed me."

"Don't be so dramatic," Lance muttered. Despite his attitude, he did steady his movements, much to Keith's relief.

"So seriously, are we almost there?"

"Yes. Relax, babe."

 _Babe_. Keith blushed and mumbled an 'okay' before turning his attention to the view spanning below. Even at night, it really was beautiful. He wished he had a camera to capture it; that led him to wonder: "Hey Lance, do you ever take pictures from up here? Or can you?"

"I can, and I do. That's how I pay the bills; people will spend a lot of money for this kind of view."

"Oh. Could you take some for me? I could pay you." Lance's eyes narrowed at that, his jaw clenched. Keith wondered, had he insulted the other man? Just as quickly as the look passed over Lance's face it vanished, his lips now quirked in amusement.

"Pictures are okay and all, but they can't compare. I don't take any for myself for that very reason - why bother when I can experience this whenever I want, you know?" Noticing Keith's whimsical expression, he added, "You can have it anytime you want, too. I'll take you."

If possible, Keith felt his cheeks grow even warmer. He didn't know how to respond, if he should respond, if the other man even expected him to. In an attempt to calm down, Keith shut his eyes and took a deep breath. After several moments, he reopened his eyes and realized they were descending to land in front of a supermarket. Right, the ice cream, he thought.

As if sensing Keith's reluctance to go inside, Lance grabbed ahold of the other man's wrist and pulled him along through the automatic doors and down to the frozen dessert aisle. Keith felt a little overwhelmed from the combination of harsh lights and bulking displays; living in a small town in the desert, he rarely venture into any big chain stores. The ice cream selection alone was intimidating - who knew there were so many variations of a flavor like vanilla? (And don't get him started on chocolate.)

Keith tugged his wrist from the other man's grasp. Lance, who'd been previously examining an array of Ben & Jerry's pints, turned to him. "What do you think? Should I get 'Chubby Hubby' or 'Chunky Monkey'? Or both?"

"Um..."

"Yeah, I'll get them both." Lance opened the refrigeration unit and pulled out both flavors, handing one to Keith. "What should I get us?" At Keith's hesitation, he asked, "What's your favorite flavor?"

The other man shrugged. "Just get whatever you want."

"I want to get your favorite flavor, which is...?"

Rolling his eyes, Keith opened the refrigeration unit and grabbed a pint of 'Banana Split.' Lance smiled but made no comment on the selection, gesturing for Keith to follow him to the checkout lines. Pints paid for and bagged, the boys headed back outside and continued on to Hunk and Shay's place. Fortunately, it took them only a few minutes to reach the Spanish style house. As they landed, Keith spotted Hunk waving at them from the glass backdoor.

Upon walking in the house, Keith's stomach grumbled when the scent of something savory and sweet wafted in the air. Hunk noticed and offered, "I made sesame chicken loco moco, if you guys are hungry."

"Hunk, you know I'll never turn down food, especially from you," Lance answered as he moved to put the ice cream in the freezer. "Where's Shay?"

"She popped upstairs for a sec. How about you, Keith?"

"Sure...may I ask what loco moco is?"

"It's a Hawaiian dish, white rice topped with meat, a fried egg, and gravy. Usually people use ground beef or pork as the meat, but I prefer chicken or fish. Also, I like to serve mine with pickled radish, which I can leave off your plate if you're not a fan."

"I've never had it, but I'll try it."

"Cool. Take a seat at the table. I'm gonna fry up some eggs real quick and get your plates ready."

Keith watched the other man work his way around the kitchen, silently admiring his ease with cooking. His own culinary skills were limited to microwaving frozen burritos, heating up a can of soup on the stovetop, or slapping together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lance placed a bottled beer in front of him and took sat in the chair to his right, sipping casually on his own drink.

"You're in for a treat. Hunk's a god in the kitchen."

"He's a god out of the kitchen, too," Shay crooned as she entered the kitchen, a big smile on her face. She grabbed a drink for herself and joined the boys, sitting across from Lance. "How'd it go with Rolo?"

"I'm surprised Pidge didn't rush over here to tell you."

"I'm glad they didn't. It would've been very awkward if they'd walked in on us," Hunk replied as he placed plates in front of both guests.

"TMI!" Lance scoffed over the chuckles from the happy couple.

Keith was torn between wanting to admire the beautiful arrangement of food in front of him and digging in; after another impatient rumble from his stomach, he chose the latter and cut right into the egg, spearing a forkful with each element of the dish. As he chewed, he couldn't hold back a groan of appreciation, the flavors bursting on his tongue.

Hunk chuckled. "You like it?"

"This is incredible, Hunk. You should have your own restaurant." Keith paused. "Um, or do you? We didn't get to talk much earlier. What do you do...?"

"I'm not a chef, but I thank you for the compliment. I'm a vet tech, I've been working at the local animal hospital for the past couple of years."

"Wow, that's cool."

The group spoke casually for a while, giving Lance and Keith time to finish their food. When the plates had been cleared and cleaned, Shay asked, "So back to my earlier question: what happened with Rolo?"

"We didn't speak to him long," Keith answered. "He didn't give us a lot of new information to go off. Mostly I got the feeling he knows more about 'Voltron' than he let on, but I don't think he's necessarily aware of what the machine does. He could just know more about its past owners. The most useful thing he gave us was a kinda vague description of ShiroKuru."

Lance frowned. "Which is suspicious, because he actually didn't tell me that when we'd talked before. He told me he couldn't remember what the guy looked like at all. Maybe that's what he's hiding, maybe he knows more about ShiroKuru."

"We can't rule it out. But," Shay reasoned, "you spoke to him the day after ShiroKuru scored. Sometimes people remember things after the fact, after they've had time to process them. Rolo might not have been intentionally withholding that from you."

"What'd Rolo say about ShiroKuru?" Hunk asked.

"He's got dark hair with a bleached streak in the front, he's probably our age, and he kept his coat and gloves on the entire time he was at Javier's." Keith shrugged. "The hair's the most distinct feature but, unless this guy's a local, we might never find him. Rolo did say he'd contact Lance if ShiroKuru came in again."

Shay sighed. "Well, at least we learned something new. If my spell works as planned tomorrow, I'll be able to neutralize the machine so we don't have to worry about it giving out more powers."

"You can do it, honey," Hunk reassured her with a smile. He then turned to Keith. "Do you still want to see me turn into a bear?"

"Heck yeah."

"Okay, let's go outside. Lance, Shay, you coming?" The others nodded in agreement, following Hunk to the backyard. Hunk motioned for them to stay on the porch as he stepped down and walked several feet away. When the other man began to strip, Keith averted his eyes, his gaze falling on Lance.

"You're gonna miss the best part if you don't look, babe," Lance chuckled.

Pushing his embarrassment aside, Keith eventually glanced back up, forcing himself to keep his eyes solely on Hunk's face now that the other man was naked. Hunk gave them one last smile before crouching down, a strangled groan rushing from his throat as his body began to shake. Keith was mesmerized by the sight as the man's body transformed, limbs distorting and lengthening, black fur sprouting to cover every inch of tan skin. Hunk's cries of discomfort shifted as well, growing more guttural with each passing moment until they became full-bellied roars. Once the final elements of his humanity were gone, Hunk prowled in bear form, maintaining his distance but gaze never wavering from his audience.

"Can he understand us?" Keith whispered to Shay.

"Yes."

"Can I get closer to him? Can I interact with him?"

"I wouldn't recommend it. He wouldn't intentionally hurt you, but he sometimes forgets his strength and speed. We used to have a grill and a hot tub back here, and then one day a certain someone," Shay shot Lance a dirty look, "dared Hunk to a game of tag while he was in bear form. It's a miracle Hunk didn't barrel into the side of the house."

"Hey, that was fun though!" Lance smirked when Hunk emitted a roar of agreement.

"I wasn't planning on doing something that stupid." Keith ignored Lance's scoff and continued, "I want to pet him...is that weird? It's weird, isn't it?"

"It's natural to be curious, Keith." Shay patted his arm. "Just be careful."

Keith slowly made his way over to the bear, forcing himself to maintain steady breathing. When he stood within reaching distance of Hunk, he stopped and reached out a tentative hand. To his surprise and delight, the thick fur was velvety, tickling the tips of his fingers. He looked at the bear's face, meeting his eyes and giving Hunk a small smile.

"Thank you, Hunk. This is amazing." The bear let out a soft growl of acknowledgement, and Keith gave him one last pat before returning to the porch.

"I'm going to head to my altar and perform one final preparation spell for tomorrow. You boys be good," Shay announced, blowing a kiss to Hunk when he roared at her and then going back inside the house.

A few moments later, Lance and Keith watched Hunk transform back into a human, Keith looking away again when Hunk's fur gave way to tan skin. The three men re-entered the house, Hunk immediately heading for the freezer and taking out all three pints of ice cream. Without Shay there to scold them, they indulged in eating straight from the containers with plastic spoons - 'easy cleanup,' Hunk had said around a mouthful of 'Chubby Hubby.' In the time it took Lance and Keith to get a quarter of the way through their pint of 'Banana Split,' Hunk managed to devour both of his cartons and looked about ready to pass out. Lance shooed the big man to bed, promising to show Keith the guest room and help him get situated.

"Can I ask you a question, Keithy boy?"

"You just did."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Is there a story behind 'Banana Split'?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You've only eaten one spoonful, the rest has been all me. Not that I'm complaining because it is quite yummy, but I figured you would've eaten more if you actually liked it. Am I reading too much into it?"

Keith shrugged. "I'm still full from dinner."

"Okay," Lance said as he returned the remaining ice cream to the freezer then tossed out their trash. "Let me show you to your room."

The men left the kitchen and passed through the living room, going up the set of stairs and walking down the hall to the last bedroom. A full-size bed occupied the small room, two doors on the opposite side leading to a closet and bathroom.

"They keep toothbrushes and toiletries in the sink cabinet," Lance explained. "There's extra towels, too. So you should be set. Javier's doesn't open until noon, so we'll have the morning free. If you want, I can fly you home to pick up some clothes and stuff; otherwise, I can take you shopping here. Unless you'd rather sleep in? That's okay, too. I can lend you some clothes, they might be a little long on you, though."

"Lance."

"What?"

"Let's figure that out tomorrow, okay? I'm tired." Keith kicked off his boots. When he began to remove his jeans, Lance stammered an 'o-okay, goodnight' and bolted out the door. Keith stared after him for several moments, hoping the other man would reappear; when he didn't, Keith gave up and stretched out on the bed. Sleep, he mused, would be a long time coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Banana Split' is like the most underrated B&J's flavor. 
> 
> That ending... Lance was supposed to stay and sleep a respectable distance from Keith, but when I tried to write it that way Lance was like "KEITH IS TAKING OFF HIS PANTS?! NO! I CAN'T! I DIE! RUN!" [*shrugs*]
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this. Thank you again for the comments, kudos, and clicks - you're awesome! <3


	8. The Morning Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise and a painful truth is revealed

The next morning, Keith discovered the guest bathroom was indeed fully stocked. He brushed his teeth, shaved, took a quick shower, and - much to his delight - made use of the spray-on deodorant. As he pulled back on his jeans, a knock on the door startled him.

"Hey, Keith?" Shay's voiced called out. "If you'd like a change of shirt, I put one on the bed. Coffee's on, and breakfast is ready, too."

Keith was thankful there was a door between them to hide his blush; the kindness of these new friends(?) amazed him. He murmured, "Thank you, Shay. I'll be down in a minute." After he was sure she'd left, Keith headed back into the bedroom. A bright red tank top was laid out on the foot of the bed; one glance and he knew it wasn't Hunk's, its size not nearly big enough to cover the other man's large shoulders and chest. Was it one of Shay's? The style was unisex and it fit well, so Keith decided it wasn't a big deal.

When he entered the kitchen, he saw the whole gang gathered around the table. Keith exchanged 'good mornings' with everyone, grabbing a cup of coffee before taking a seat between Pidge and Hunk. The table was covered in a variety of food: stacks of pancakes, bowls of cut fruit, and a platter of bacon and scrambled eggs. Not normally a breakfast kind of guy, Keith put one pancake and a few slices of strawberry on his plate, taking small bites as he observed the banter between Lance and Pidge.

"So what'd you do to end up in couch city last night?"

"Stuff it, Pidge."

"Don't mind if I do," the speedster smirked before shoveling several strips of bacon in their mouth. "But seriously, I was surprised to see you sleeping down here this morning. I figured I'd find you guys spooning upstairs. Although you're better off," Pidge nodded at Keith, "he drools like a geyser in his sleep."

Keith nearly choked on his food. "What?!"

Pidge reached out a hand, patting him on the back. "It's okay; it's nice to know you're human like the rest of us. But have you considered talking to your doctor about that?"

"Ignore the Pidgeon, mullet." Lance winked. "I don't mind getting a little wet." Keith felt his eyelid begin to twitch; he briefly entertained the idea of drowning Lance in his coffee.

"Lance," Hunk admonished, "don't be dirty; it's too early for that, man. Pidge, stop baiting him."

"Yes, Mom," Lance and Pidge droned in unison.

"Buddy, you okay?" To placate the big guy, Keith forced himself to nod and pick up his fork again. A silence fell over the table as everyone continued eating. After everyone finished, Lance offered to help Hunk clean up while Shay ushered Keith and Pidge to the living room. The three chatted while waiting for the others to join them, Pidge breaking off when their cell phone rang.

"Ugh, it's Matt. I'm just gonna run over and see what he wants, be back in a few." They rushed out the door, nearly knocking over Lance as he walked into the room. With a sigh, Lance plopped down on the couch beside Keith. Shay smiled and excused herself, heading back to the kitchen.

"Just the two of us," Lance mused aloud. He chuckled at Keith's answering scowl. "I'm sorry if I crossed a line earlier, man. No hard feelings?"

"Whatever," Keith mumbled.

Lance rolled his eyes. "Did you decide if you want to pick up clothes from your place or do some shopping here? I'm cool either way. I noticed you got a change of shirt - red's definitely your color, btw."

"Shay gave it to me. If it's not too much trouble, I would like to grab a few things from my place: my tablet, maybe a change of clothes in case I do stay out here another night."

"Why wouldn't you?" Lance frowned. "Unless you have something important to do back home?"

"No. I'm not working on any other stories right now; I can focus on 'Voltron' and helping you guys."

"Right. No boyfriend waiting for you?"

Keith's voice was icy when he reponsded, "It's a little late to be asking that, don't you think?"

"So is that a yes or no?" If looks could kill, Lance was positive he'd be dead on the spot. Remembering Keith's power, he silently prayed the other man wouldn't decide to test out the 'laser beam eyes' hypothesis.

Fortunately, Pidge saved him from Keith's potential wrath; the speedster chose that moment to reappear, skidding wildly to a stop just short of crashing into the wall. Lance opened his mouth to joke about their timing but refrained when he took in how pale they looked. "Hey Pidgeon, what's wrong?" Keith turned, too, his expression morphing from venomous to concerned for their friend.

"Matt," the speedster croaked.

Hunk hurried into the room, having overheard the exchange, Shay following closely behind him. The big man grabbed his friend by the shoulders, giving them a squeeze. "Is he hurt? What happened?"

"H-he lied to me. He's been lying to me for weeks. I caught him..." Pidge paused to take a shaky breath. "Matt's got a power."

No one seemed to know how to respond to that. Hunk guided Pidge to a chair, pushing the smaller person down. He knelt down by their side, taking one of their hands within in his. Shay stood on Pidge's other side, a comforting arm over the back of their chair. Eventually, the speedster spoke again without prompting.

"I think he expected me to text him first, not just run home like that. When I got there, Matt was washing dishes in the kitchen, which is normal...but then another Matt came strolling into the room." Tears fell down their cheeks as they whimpered, "There were two of him in the same freaking place at the same freaking time."

"Quiznak! Did he say anything to you?" Lance asked.

"I-I didn't really give him a chance, I ran out of there."

"We have to talk to him," Keith said. At the collective gasps of the others, he hurried on to explain, "Not right now, but soon. He needs to explain himself, why he's been concealing his power. It could be because of something petty, but for all we know, he could've been coerced."

"He's right. Your brother at least owes you some answers." Hunk sighed. "I'm gonna text him and let him know you're okay, I'm sure he's worried." When Hunk pulled out his phone to do just that, Lance protested.

"Or he's plotting their demise. Don't do it!"

"If Matt wanted to hurt me, he could've done so many times. He could've hurt any one of us, just by revealing our identities and abilities to the public. But he hasn't, and I don't think he ever would." Pidge turned to Hunk. "Text him, please."

Keith knew it was a long shot, but he added, "I think we should ask him about 'Voltron,' too. Even if he doesn't know anything, he might be able to help us."

"Fine, but I need time...I can't talk to him just yet."

"Take as much time as you need," Hunk reassured them. "Whenever you're ready, we can invite Matt here."

Shay, who'd been seemingly lost in thought before, offered to make Pidge some chamomile, which the speedster accepted; she wrapped an arm around her friend and escorted them into the kitchen, Hunk in tow. Lance turned to Keith, shooting him a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"We should probably head out now if we want to make it back in time."

Keith had almost forgotten about their planned side-trip. "Yeah, okay." The annoyance from their previous conversation still weighed heavily on his mind, but he pushed it aside and took the other man's hand when it was offered to him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate making Pidge cry ~ but I promise things will get better for them...eventually.
> 
>  
> 
> Next up: Keith goes home, Shay does her magic, Matt comes clean, and a special guest pops up.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you to everyone reading this! Your clicks, comments, and kudos make my day. <3


	9. Oh Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klangst ensues, the gang pays a visit to 'Voltron,' and Matt x's 2.

The flight to Nevada was far too long for Keith to give Lance the silent treatment; as much as he believed the other man deserved it, the situation with Pidge's brother raised a lot of questions and there was no better time to get answers than now. Their spat from earlier, he decided, could be put off until later.

Lance, however, clearly had other ideas. (Or a death wish, Keith mused.) "So you never said whether or not you have a boyfriend. Are you seeing somebody?"

Keith glared at him. "Do you honestly think I'd kiss you if I was?"

"Technically I kissed you."

"Technically you're an idiot."

"You might've just been caught up in the moment - romantic setting, yours truly charming the pants off you," Lance said with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows at the other man.

"You ran away when I took off my pants last night, remember?" Keith snorted at Lance's answering blush. A moment later, a thought occurred to him. "Were you caught up in the moment last night?"

When the other man didn't respond right away, Keith's body tensed in dread. Lance's eventual answer made his stomach drop. "Sort of. We both were, right? You were finally showing me your power, and the way the pretty glow lit up your face... I couldn't resist, if that makes sense."

Lance made sense, all too much to Keith. He thought back to yesterday: Lance ogling the pretty blonde bartender at Javier's, Lance ogling the pretty silver-blonde at Shay's shop, the story about Lance doing bodyshots with his friend Rolo (who was yet another blonde), and Rolo's suggestive comments about Lance coming back for seconds, thirds, and more if he liked someone. The other man, Keith realized with disappoint, was nothing more than a flirt with questionable impulse control (and a thing for blondes). All those teasing touches and comments - like the offer to fly anytime - were no doubt spoken in the moment, too, just empty platitudes.

"Yo, Keith?"

"What?" He snapped.

"I don't know what town you live in. What's the name of it and what direction is it from the Vegas strip?"

That, Keith grudgingly admitted, was quite important; the last thing he wanted was to get lost flying with Lance. "It's called Sloan, and it's about 18 miles southwest of Las Vegas. I've got a shack out there."

"...You live in a shack?"

"Shut up."

"Like an actual shack? Or are you like those rich people that refer to their sprawling mansions as 'cabins' or 'summer cottages'?"

"Shut up."

"Jeez, chill, mullet. I'm just trying to make conversation."

Keith rolled his eyes. Deciding to put aside his anger at Lance - or at least attempt to - he asked the question he'd been intending to before the other man opened his big mouth. "How is it possible for Pidge's brother to have a power?"

"He's played 'Voltron.' Remember at Javier's? Matt even made the top five."

After thinking about it for a moment, he replied, "Right, SpaceCrusader. I'm surprised you guys didn't realize earlier that he had a power. Didn't you say 'Voltron' won't give powers to a bad person, or someone that'll use the powers for evil? I haven't met the guy, but I can't imagine Pidge's brother falls into either of those categories."

"Matt's a good guy, albeit a bit boring. And he always has sweaty palms, it's kinda off-putting."

"So you just made up that bit about why 'Voltron' only gives out powers to select people? You really have no idea what's going on, do you?"

"Two things. One: I don't appreciate your tone or the death glare you're currently shooting at me - knock it off, Keith. And two: Just because he's a great guy doesn't mean he wouldn't use a power for evil. We figured he fell into that category. Maybe he would give in to temptation and go on a power-trip if given the chance; he does steal everybody's popcorn whenever we all go to the movies."

"How long ago did he play the game? I'm wondering how long he's been hiding his power. It can't have been too long, given the risk of him getting caught by Pidge was high. Also, how long has he known about their power? And yours?"

Lance smirked. "You're like a dog with a bone, you know that?" When Keith didn't respond, the other man sighed and continued, "We took him to play 'Voltron' about a month ago. He's known about Pidge and, well, all of us since the beginning. It's not like they could keep it a secret since they live together; Hunk and I were there as moral support, and we ended up outing ourselves, too."

"Why'd he wait a month to play the game? I wanted to see for myself right after I saw what you could do."

"It took Matt a while to be comfortable with our powers, especially Pidge's. He used to freakout hardcore whenever they sped around. None of us wanted to push him to play 'Voltron'; like we did with Shay, we offered to accompany him if he ever wanted to try the game and be his support system should anything happen. I think he finally did it to prove he was over his fears and fully accepted Pidge...although I could be wrong. Him hiding that he got a power is shady."

Keith was silent, mulling over what Lance had revealed to him. He had his concerns about Matt, but now also about the group. It seemed like their research, prior to Keith being brought in, was based more on assumptions and less on facts. Not that this deterred him; he owed it to his readers - who depended on him to uncover the truth no matter what the cost - and himself, as this fantastical story had literally changed him. Glancing at Lance, his expression softened as he acknowledged he owed it to the other man and his friends, too.

Enough time had passed that Keith spotted the telltale landmarks of Sloan. Guiding Lance, they reached his property and touched down by his shack.

"You weren't kidding," Lance muttered as Keith escorted him inside. Keith brushed off the other man's comment and began gathering supplies. After giving it some thought, he tossed two tshirts, one tank top, and a few pairs of boxer briefs into a backpack, ignoring Lance's whistle at the underwear. He also grabbed his tablet, its charger, a stack of post-it-notes, and his phone charger for good measure.

"Okay, I'm good to go."

"That's it?" Lance asked, eyebrows raised.

"You expecting a tour?" Keith gestured around. "This is it, my shack in all its glory."

The other man snorted and followed Keith outside. "I'm surprised you didn't build a bigger place, given all this land you've got around here."

"I didn't want to. Let's go."

"Jeez, mullet. So eager to get your hands on me again?" Lance teased, his grin faltering when Keith scowled at him. He mumbled an 'okay' and reached for Keith's backpack, slinging it on his own back before fitting the other man snugly in his arms.

Neither man spoke during the flight back, each lost in their own thoughts. They returned to Hunk's house, pleased to find everyone else there and getting ready to go to Javier's.

"Is it okay if I leave my stuff here for now, Hunk? I can pick it up later."

"Of course, buddy. You know when I offered you the guest bedroom, I meant for as long as you're staying in the area. You can put your bag up there."

"Oh, thanks. Cool."

After Keith was set, the group set out. It felt strange to ride in a vehicle after becoming so used to flying everywhere with Lance; the other man hadn't offered to fly Keith with him, and Keith hadn't asked. The speedster ran off, leaving him in the jeep with Hunk and Shay, the happy couple in the front and Keith moping in the back. He felt anxious by the time they reached Javier's, already unused to sitting so long. They found Lance and Pidge already inside, the former fawning over Nyma at the bar and the latter scarfing down an order of churros.

"Hey guys," Pidge mumbled with a mouth full of food, spitting out tiny specks of churros as they spoke.

Hunk flashed Nyma a smile as he dragged Lance from the bar, the other man protesting. "We're supposed to be hanging around the machine pretending to be playing, remember?" Hunk whispered, silencing Lance.

Keith and Pidge were already beside Shay, glancing between Shay and 'Voltron.' Lance and Hunk stood on either side, moving in close enough that to an observer, it might appear they were all watching their friend play. They effectively blocked Shay, so she was free to cast her spell without gathering Nyma's attention or that of any other customers (should they arrive before she'd finished).

The spell itself was short, much to Keith's surprise. He watched as Shay pulled a small bottle out of her purse. As she gently flicked the liquid content at 'Voltron,' she softly chanted: "As this potion meets machine, let it become clean. As this potion meets machine, its curse is broken. As this potion meets machine, 'Voltron' will be free. Blessed be, remove the power from this machine." When Shay finished, she put the emptied bottle back in her purse.

Several moments passed before anyone spoke. "Um, is it over?" Lance asked.

"Yes," Shay replied.

"So the machine won't give out powers anymore?"

"If it was indeed enchanted by magic, then yes."

"How will we know if it worked?"

"I guess we have to test it," Shay said with a frown. "More specifically, I have to.."

Hunk grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. "But honey, what if it's alien tech or something and the spell didn't work? You'd be in the same situation as us."

"I'm already in it. I've been in it since you got your powers." Shay looked to the others, a sad smile on her face. "This is the only way to know for sure."

"Let someone else do it!" Her boyfriend insisted.

"Who though?" At Hunk's pointed look, Pidge hastily added, "I don't want Shay to have to do it either, but we don't have anyone else to try it on."

"Nyma?" Lance suggested. Keith tried to ignore the jealousy blooming in his stomach as he imagined a scenario where Nyma just happened to get the ability to fly, too, and floated off into the sunset with Lance. Bet he'd love that, Keith thought bitterly.

"No," Pidge said with a shake of their head. "She's a decent bartender, but I doubt she's worthy of a power. It'd just take her quarters."

"That's assuming your theory about who it gives powers to is correct." All eyes turned to Keith. "But what if you're wrong? What if there's some other criteria to determine who gets a power?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, I''m just saying. There could be a chance Shay won't get a power regardless of whether or not the machine's still enchanted."

Hunk turned to Shay. "Do you want a power like us?"

"No, but..."

"Then don't do it, honey. Please. We'll figure out another way to test it." He hugged his girlfriend when she nodded in agreement.

Pidge sighed. "Well, since we're out and stuck for now, how about we go interrogate Matt?"

"You sure you feel up to that?" Hunk asked.

"Might as well rip the bandage off and poke at the wound."

"Couldn't agree more myself," Lance chirped. "Plus, I've been dying to see his clone act ever since you mentioned it. It must be so cool - ow!" Keith smiled as he watched the other man rub the spot where he'd punched him in the arm. Lance cried, "You know you're thinking it, too, mullet!"

"But I'm not saying it."

"You just did."

"Boys." The men silenced at Hunk's admonishment but continued to throw eachother dirty looks.

"Should we check to see if he's home first?" Shay asked.

"It's one o'clock on a Tuesday - he's bingewatching 'Chopped,' Pidge said with confidence. "He's already given me a shock today, might as well return the favor. Although we can't possibly top what he did, unless we electrocute the jerk..."

Hunk and Shay manhandled the now pouty speedster out of the bar, Keith and Lance close behind. The group took off for Matt and Pidge's home, fortunately not having to travel far as they lived in the same neighborhood as Javier's. Keith wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but he was surprised when they pulled up to an elegant, 3-story townhouse. Pidge entered first, the others closely behind.

They found Matt in the living room, indeed watching 'Chopped' on a large screen TV. He'd been lounging on the sofa but bolted upright when he spotted his sibling and their friends. Matt bore a striking resemblance to Pidge, the only differences being he was slightly taller and broader than his petite sibling.

"Hey Pidge," Matt greeted, nervously ringing his hands together.

"Matt, you know why we're here."

"I do." He looked to everyone else. "Hey guys. I know all but one of you. Hi, I'm Pidge's older brother," he directed at Keith.

Before Keith could respond, Pidge butt in, "That's Keith. He knows who you are. Now sit down, we've got questions."

Matt deflated at his sibling's icy tone, collapsing back onto the couch. The others took seats on the other furniture, Pidge grumbling when they were left with no choice but to sit beside their brother.

"Why'd you lie to me?" Pidge spat out the question most obvious on their mind.

"I was scared."

"Why? Was someone threatening you?"

"No." Matt looked embarrassed as he confessed, "I'm scared of my power, Pidge. I'm worried one day I'm gonna multiply so many times and never be able to reign it back in again. At first I tried to deny there was anything different about me, I almost convinced myself it was a fluke. But then one day at work I was bogged down with this project, and I kept wishing there was two of me so I could get it done faster...and then there were two of me. I was freaked out, but I couldn't deny it was real. I've rarely used my power since I got it; I only did it today because I wanted to clean the house while you were gone and I figured the two me's would get it down quicker."

"You should have told me."

"After hiding it for so long? I knew you'd be upset."

"Understatement of the century," Pidge deadpanned.

"I'm sorry, Pidge. I know it was hurtful and foolish of me to lie. You've been so open about your power and I...blew it," Matt lamented.

When the siblings made no move to continue speaking, Keith leaned forward and asked, "Matt, I don't know if Pidge told you, but we're trying to find out how and why 'Voltron' is granting these powers. Have you looked into it or heard anything that might be useful to us?"

"I probably know less than you guys do; I've been avoiding Javier's ever since that night. I did Google the machine a while back but came up empty."

"Can you show us your power?" Lance asked. He pulled away, just missing Keith's attempt to swat him again.

Matt chuckled at their antics. "Um, if you want..." He stood up, closing his eyes. For several moments, he made no movements; suddenly, his entire body began to vibrate violently until a second Matt literally pulled from the original. Both Matts smiled at the group, in unison saying, "Ta-da!"

The others were speechless. Pidge reacted first, standing up to face both Matts. "I promise t forgive you on one condition. You guys have to do my laundry and cook me dinner for a week."

"Can I start tomorrow? I actually have a friend coming over tonight, hence the cleaning."

"You have friends?!" Lance squawked. This time Keith pushed him off the couch, chuckling when the other man cried out in indignation.

"Um, sure," Pidge said. "But I expect lasagna tomorrow."

"Deal."

"Which one of you is Matt prime?"

"Me," the one to their left said as he raised his hand. Pidge snorted at his awkwardness and pulled him into a hug. When they finished, they immediately turned to the other Matt and hugged him, too.

"You should probably mush yourself back together again. Meld? Pull? Whatever it is you do. Unless your date is into that. I'm assuming this friend is actually a date, right?"

The Matts held hands and seemingly stepped into eachother, becoming one once more. Matt shrugged in response to his sibling's question. "We'll see."

"Dude, that was so cool - and kinda gross," Lance said from the floor.

"I promise to stay out of the house during your 'maybe date,' give you some time to figure that out." Pidge turned to Hunk and Shay. "Dinner at your place?" Hunk nodded.

The group said their goodbyes to Matt, this time all piling in the jeep to head back to Shay and Hunk's place. Pidge was sandwiched - or 'manwiched' as they'd snickered - between Keith and Lance in the back. The speedster looked much brighter now that they'd cleared the air with their brother, much to everyone's relief. Keith couldn't help feeling disappointed, though, that Matt hadn't been able to provided any new information. (His power, however, was cool.)

When they. were almost at their destination, Lance broke the amiable silence that fell in the car to voice the concern plaguing everyone's mind. "That's one mystery solved. So now the question is, who are we gonna sacrifice to 'Voltron'?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special character was supposed to make a surprise appearance in this chapter, but he was being uncooperative. I've got him down for next chapter, though. ^_^
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you guys enjoyed this! <3


	10. Two Steps Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finds a potential lead, Lance proves hard to resist, and the boys are in for a surprise

After returning to Hunk and Shay's house, Keith broke off from the group and headed up to the guest room. He did feel a smidgen bad about not saying anything as he slunk away, but the others had seemed so engrossed in discussing dinner options that he figured they wouldn't mind his absence for a bit. It wasn't anything personal, he reasoned; years of living alone, in his shack, meant that he was unaccustomed to so much togetherness. Reflecting on the past twenty-four hours, he'd spent more time in face-to-face discussion with people than he had in the entirety of the past six months.

With his newfound privacy, Keith decided to work on 'Voltron.' Grabbing his backpack, he extracted his tablet and post-it-notes. A quick search of the nightstand produced a sharpie marker, which was fortunate because in his rush earlier he'd forgotten to pack a writing utensil. On individual notes, Keith jotted down key factors in the investigation - the names of the people involved, the powers that'd been given, events he experienced, and so on. Anything speculation was left out for now; he felt he'd already let some of the opinions of the group (Lance specifically) color his perception of the situation.

Keith wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting on the bed making notations, but by the time he finished his hand was cramped and he'd nearly run out of post-it-notes. Gathering up the notes, he commandeered the wall across from the bed and began to affix them to it, plotting an outline to work from. He arranged, and then rearranged, the notes several times before finally turning to the bed and settling down with his tablet. Matt claimed to have found nothing useful when he looked online for information about the arcade machine; just to confirm the other man's story, Keith pulled up a browser and googled 'Voltron.' His eyebrows shot up in surprise - buried within the list of irrelevant sites was a link to a supernatural forum of which Keith himself was a member. Had Matt conducted his search before the post was created, or had he simply overlooked it? Either was a possibility.

Clicking on the link, the forum loaded to a post from a week ago that read: 'I think my boyfriend's either possessed or cursed by something called a 'Voltron.' Does anyone know a spell or charm or something to fix him?' The post's author went under the username 'LaLaLurYa,' and a quick look at their profile showed no other activity or information. Keith was disappointed, but he still shot them a message in hopes that maybe they'd respond. He put his tablet aside and used a post-it-note to add 'LaLaLurYa' to the 'Voltron' wall.

Despite being soft, the knock on his door still made Keith jump. Opening the door, he was surprised to find Lance standing there, a big smile on the other man's face.

"Hey mullet, you done napping? We're gonna order some pizza - WOAH IS THAT A CONSPIRACY BOARD?!" Lance pushed past Keith, ignoring his cry of annoyance. The taller man examined the post-it-notes with wide eyes. He turned to Keith and asked, "This is what you've been doing for the past two hours?"

"Oh, is that how long I've been up here? Huh."

"What in the quiznak is a 'LaLaLurYa?' Is that code for something?" Lance asked as he reached out to pluck the newest note from the wall; Keith knocked his hand away.

"No, that's a potential lead." He reached for his tablet, handing it to Lance so he could see the forum post. "I just sent 'LaLaLurYa' a message. Considering they're not active on the site, it might come to nothing but maybe we'll get lucky."

"Were you able to find anything else on 'Voltron'?"

"No." Keith took back his tablet and tossed it on the bed. "You mentioned something about pizza?"

"Yes, we're gonna order some. What toppings do you like?"

"Um, I'll eat whatever you guys are getting."

Lance groaned playfully, a grin on his face. "We doing this again?"

"Doing what?" Keith growled.

The other man leaned in closer, his eyes sparkling as he whispered, "Is it so difficult to tell me what you want?"

Despite his annoyance, a small part of Keith really wanted to close the distance between them and kiss Lance right then. He'd been a stranger to such proximity for too long, he reasoned, that's why he felt like this. His attraction to Lance wasn't genuine. Yeah right.

"I'd like pepperoni."

"Excellent choice." Lance pulled back, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts. That drew Keith's eyes to the other man's body, specifically his clothes. He'd changed since earlier, into a pair of knee-length cargo shorts and a blue, deep v-neck tshirt. Keith was relieved to have his attention torn from the tantalizing sight of Lance's exposed collarbones when the other man asked, "When I go to pick up the pizza, wanna come with?"

"You don't seriously expect me to hold however many boxes of pizza while we fly, do you?"

"We're walking, silly. It's from the pizzeria down the street. What do you say?"

No, Keith thought. He nearly cringed when he heard himself say, "Sure."

Lance perked up. "Really? Yay, cool! It'll probably be 15-20 minutes before we have to go. Did you need to finish up here or did you wanna come downstairs?"

Did he? He wondered. "I'll join you" Seeing the smile his answer brought to the other man's face, Keith knew he'd made the right call.

The others were in the living room chatting, Hunk and Shay holding hands on the sofa while Pidge sat on an armchair. Everyone called out a greeting to Keith when he entered the room; he nodded in return with a small smile and sat down opposite the couple. Lance chose that moment to call in their order, walking off into the hall with his cellphone.

Keith turned to Shay, "I forgot to ask earlier: what was in that potion you used on 'Voltron'? It smelled nice."

"Pine needle, sage, cedar, and salt. Oh, and water of course." Shay smiled. "They're a staple in protection and purification spells."

"Do you sell potions at your shop? I didn't really get a chance to look around yesterday."

"I do, I make them to order. Each blend is specific to the customer and their needs, and each comes with a set of instructions and chant."

"That's pretty thorough." Keith thought about the past magic practitioners he'd encountered, not recalling any of them being so deliberate.

"People trust me with their hopes, dreams, and secrets. I don't take that privilege lightly."

Pidge, who'd been slouched in the armchair, sat up and joined the conversation. "Shay's like a therapist, lawyer, and clergyman wrapped in one. But actually effective." The group laughed.

Lance reentered the room, opting to sit on the floor beside Keith. "So mullet, did you tell them the news?"

"What news?" Pidge asked.

Before Keith could answer, Lance continued, "He might've found another person affected by 'Voltron.' Somebody named 'LaLaLoopsy' or whatever posted something about it to a forum."

"It was 'LaLaLurYa,'" Keith clarified.

"Same thing."

"I emailed them. They probably won't respond, but I figure it's worth a shot. Maybe they can help us."

"Or maybe they'll turn out like Matt - no offense Pidge." Lance said sullenly.

"None taken," Pidge assured him. "I do wonder, though, are we really getting any closer to learning the truth? It feels like we keep running into dead ends."

"Yes," Keith answered with surety.

"Yes," Lance echoed. "Mullet's got a crazy conspiracy board going upstairs and everything."

"Lance."

"Ooh, I'm want to see, too," Pidge said before zipping upstairs. They were back before anyone could react. "You have terrible handwriting."

Keith rolled his eyes, starting to regret leaving his room. He turned to Lance. "Should we go for the pizza now?"

"It's still kinda early, dude."

"Your boyfriend probably wants some alone time with you," Pidge stage whispered.

Lance blushed and upright, grabbing Keith by the wrist and pulling him. "Yes, let's go now. Be back soon guys."

When the two reached outside, Lance dropped his wrist and the two walked side-by-side to the pizzeria.

"So did you really want alone time with me?"

"Sort of? I just felt like getting out of there. I'm not used to spending so much time with other people," he confessed.

"Oh. Well if and when you need your space, just tell us to back off. All of us, even me. Like right now, do you prefer to walk in silence?"

"You'd be okay with that?"

"Of course, man."

Keith turned to Lance, feeling warm at the sincerity in the other man's eyes. He tried to remind himself not to fall for the other man's charm...but he was never really good at listening to his own advice. "No, I like talking to you."

They did end up walking in silence for the rest of the short trip, however, exchanging small smiles along the way. The heady scent of cheese and dough spelled out of the small brick building, opening up Keith's appetite; he was now glad he'd asked for pepperoni. Lance rushed forward to open the front door, motioning for Keith to enter ahead of him. Stepping inside, Keith and Lance waited a respectable distance behind the customer ahead of them. Keith spared a look around the shop - noting it's haphazard decor - before settling on the other customer. He couldn't see the dark brunette's face, but he didn't mind; the view of him from behind was spectacular: tall, broad, and muscular with a bubble butt perfectly accentuated by tight grey jeans. Keith spared a glance at Lance, surprised to find the other man watching him intently. Had he noticed him checking out the dark brunette?

Keith snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the other customer paying for his pizza. Ignoring Lance, he turned his gaze forward and watched the dark brunette thank the cashier and turn around with his pizza. The man's front, Keith decided, was even better than the back. Grey eyes, strong jaw, full lips...and a bleached streak in his fringe.

"ShiroKuru," Keith whispered. Lance gasped beside him in recognition, but he paid him little mind. His attention was focused on the dark brunette, who smirked at him with a sensual twist of his lips.

"Hello...Keith, is it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...but if Shiro is here, who is Matt hanging out with? ;)
> 
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> 
> Next up: Shiro reveals his ability, the gang finds someone to test 'Voltron,' Matt's "maybe date" happens, and someone's getting kissed
> 
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> 
> Thank you for reading - I hope you enjoyed this chapter <3


	11. Hello Handsome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance chat with Shiro. Pidge checks in with their brother.

If anyone had told Keith earlier that today he'd stumble upon the mysterious ShiroKuru, he'd have laughed in their face. But now here he was, sitting across from the man himself in the booth of the dingy pizzeria. After hearing his name spill so casually from the stranger's mouth, he felt weak in the knees; Lance, noting his distress, guided him to the empty seating. Lance currently sat at his side, the press of his thigh against Keith's own comforting.

It took Keith a few moments to find his voice, to ask the obvious question on his mind: "How do you know my name?"

The other man raised his gloved left hand and tapped two fingers to his temple. When his action was met with blank stares, he rolled his eyes and clarified, "I read minds."

"Oh really?" Lance snorted, a challenge in his eyes. "Then what am I thinking right now, stud?"

"You're thinking about Keith's hair. I agree it's very shiny and silky looking, but I wouldn't call it a 'mullet.' Mullets are usually shorter in the front, right?"

Keith rolled his eyes at Lance before turning to the man across from him. "Do you have to be looking at someone to use your power on them?"

"I do."

"That must really help you picking up babes," Lance mused. "Not that you need it, you're like unfairly hot."

The other man smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. He casually drummed his fingers on the tabletop, which drew Keith's attention to his hands. Gloved again, just like Rolo said.

"Since you know our names, can we know yours?"

"Takashi, but all my friends call me Shiro."

"Okay, Shiro. I'm not sure if you picked this up from either of us, but we're investigating 'Voltron.'" Keith explained, "We want to find out where the machine came from, why it's giving out powers, and how to prevent it from doing so in the future, if that's even possible. We don't know how many other people have been affected; we're concerned it might grant someone a truly dangerous power, or that someone might abuse their power to harm others."

"All of our powers have the potential to harm, don't they?" Shiro paused before continuing, "And no one's infallible, any one of us could unintentionally take it too far one day - if some haven't already. I agree we need to stop 'Voltron,' but I think you need to take it one step further: there has to be a way to reverse what's happened to us."

"Woah, you don't like your power?" Lance looked incredulous. "But it's so cool."

"I don't want my power," he insisted. His expression showed his weariness when he admitted, "It's hard to turn off, so I can get bombarded by other people's thoughts. On bad days, it triggers intense, blinding migraines that no medicine can alleviate."

Keith frowned; he hadn't thought of giving up his power. Unlike Shiro's, his was more manageable: if he didn't want to light up, he wouldn't. Turning to Lance, Keith knew the other man would never willingly relinquish the ability to fly. Would their friends feel the same, too? Did they owe it to Shiro, and anyone else of his mindset, to help them become 'normal' again?

 _Yes_ , he realized. With that in mind, he told Shiro, "We've got two theories about the machine: it could be enchanted, or it could be alien tech. A friend of ours performed a cleansing spell on 'Voltron' today, to see if the first was the case. We're still figuring out how to test if it worked; but if it did break whatever enchantment is on the machine, then maybe she can perform a spell to help you, too."

Shiro gave him a small smile. "You'll have to let me know if it was successful."

"Of course. Say, would you be willing to work with us?" At Shiro's nod, he whipped out his phone and passed it over to the other man. "Enter your contact info." Instead of staying to watch the exchange, Lance mumbled about the pizza probably being ready before he got up to grab their order. When Shiro handed his phone back to him, Keith smiled and thanked him. He continued smiling as he watched Shiro leave, taking one last moment to admire the man's backside.

"If you're done drooling over that Shiro dude, we should head back to Hunk's." Lance's biting words jarred Keith. He blushed and silently followed the other man outside.

"So, what did you think of Shiro?" Keith regretted his attempt at conversation when Lance shot him a dirty look.

"He's a sexy Dorito."

"Huh?"

"Jeez, mullet, you never heard of a Dorito before? Wide shoulders, tiny waist, perfect V-shape just like the chip."

"Oh. Then yeah, I second that."

Lance snorted in response. His mood seemed to lighten by the time they returned to Hunk and Shay's. Their friends greeted them excitedly, everyone clearly hungry and ready to pounce on the delicious smelling pizzas. Keith took a seat beside Lance at the table, once again enjoying touching thighs with him under the table; Lance gave him a sweet smile in response.

"You guys took longer than expected. Did you get carried away fooling behind the pizzeria or something?" Pidge asked, voice muffled as they spoke around a big bite of cheese pizza.

Keith choked on the food in his mouth. Without glancing at him, Lance pat his back as he told Pidge, "Sadly, no smooching, groping, or anything else sexy happened. You'll never guess who we met there, though."

"I'm not playing the guessing game with you. Who?"

"You're no fun," Lance whined. Even though Keith had stopped coughing, he had yet to remove his hand from the other man's back. "ShiroKuru, or just plain Shiro."

"WHAT?!" Pidge, Hunk, and Shay cried collectively.

"There's nothing plain about him," Keith clarified. At Lance's scowl, he said, "Don't deny it, you called him a Dorito."

"I will neither confirm nor deny that statement."

Keith ignored him, addressing the others. "He was there picking up a pizza, too. We only talked briefly, but I did get his number and email so we can arrange to meet soon. Even if he doesn't know anything new about the 'Voltron,' his power can be of real use to us. He can read minds."

Hunk and Shay shared a look, the latter choosing to respond, "It's quite the coincidence that you ran into him at our pizzeria. We've been going there for years, and we've never seen someone matching his description."

Pidge added, "He just happened to be there when you guys were. Like he was waiting for you."

"Maybe he recently moved to the area. Or maybe he didn't have the bleached streak before so you didn't notice him in the past."

"Or maybe he's having the house watched and planned it so you'd meet, to gain your trust before he kills us all."

"And you think I'm the conspiracy theorist," Keith directed at Lance. To Pidge, he said, "I'm not saying I trust him, but I didn't get any bad vibes from him."

Lance looked pained when he said, "You were kinda dazzled by his good looks. We both were."

"I don't just fall for any pretty face," Keith spat. The 'unlike you' remained unsaid. He glared at the other man. In response, Lance rubbed placating circles along his upper back.

"Well I look forward to meeting Shiro, I'm sure he's lovely," Shay said.

"Apparently too lovely," Pidge muttered.

"Hey Pidge," Hunk announced cheerily, obviously wanting to switch topics. "Do you have any idea what friend Matt is having over?"

"The invisible kind?" Lance joked. He was surprised to hear Keith's light chuckle, a smile gracing his face at having amused the other man.

"Lance," Hunk groaned.

"No clue," Pidge finally answered. "I just hope they're not stupid, like the last one, or crazy, like the one before that. Matt has the worst taste in men."

"You should text him and see how it's going," Shay suggested.

"Matt already has no game, the last thing he needs is his sibling texting him during the date." Lance giggled as he collected everyone's dishes from the table, bringing them to the sink. Keith, missing the other man's touch already, joined him in cleaning up.

"Screw it, I'm texting him." Pidge took their phone out and typed away furiously on it.

Keith watched Hunk and Shay step out onto the back porch, relieved that he had a modicum of privacy to talk to Lance. Keeping his voice low, so as not to alert the distracted speedster, he asked the other man, "What if PIdge is right?"

"Huh?" Lance paused in rinsing the dishes. "Right about what?"

"Shiro. What if he was watching us, setting up that encounter?"

"I say we don't borrow trouble; if we find out he's up to no good, we'll deal with it."

"But he can read minds, Lance. He'll know we're suspicious and stay one step ahead of us," Keith hissed.

"You just won back your conspiracy theorist crown. Seriously, mullet, don't stress out over this now." Lance smirked as an idea came to him. "Would you like to fly tonight?"

"Where?"

Lance shrugged. "Nowhere in particular. Sometimes I like to fly around for fun. I did say I'd fly you anytime you wanted, but I doubt you'll ever ask. I figure I need to take the initiative."

Keith raised an eyebrow at that. "Excuse me?"

"Excused," Lance joked. When Keith didn't react, he sighed. "Earlier you told me you like talking to me. I like it, too. I also like flying with you."

Moments like this, Keith mused, were why he couldn't get over his attraction to Lance. "I do want to fly with you tonight," he said with a small smile.

Once the two men finished putting away the dishes, Keith's cellphone buzzed. He stepped aside to check his messages, surprised to find one from Shiro already. As he clicked to read it, Lance came up behind him to rest his chin on Keith's shoulder, breath ghosting over his sensitive earlobe.

"WOAH!" Lance shrieked. Keith inwardly cursed the other man, pulling back and rubbing his ear.

Hunk and Shay popped back inside, looking at them expectantly. Pidge, Keith noted, was still focused on her phone.

"Shiro's girlfriend is volunteering to test 'Voltron' for us," Lance informed them. At their confused looks, he explained, "Keith told him about Shay's spell."

"He called her a girl friend, not girlfriend, Lance."

"Same thing, mullet."

"Everyone wants to be there to see what happens, right? Should I try to coordinate a day and time to go? What works for you guys?"

"Shay and I are free after 5pm tomorrow," Hunk responded. "Pidge, what about you?"

Without looking up, the speedster replied, "After 6."

"My schedule's like me, mullet - flexible."

Keith rolled his eyes at Lance. "Okay, I'll see if they can do tomorrow night." He sent a message back to Shiro and tucked his phone back in his pocket.

Pidge finally looked up from their phone, a small smirk on their face. "In case anyone was wondering, Matt's date is going well."

"Did he give you the deets? Spill!" Lance pulled up a chair beside Pidge, leaning forward eagerly.

"He said they had dinner and are about to watch a movie."

"That's it? Lame. Hopefully they start making out and dry humping soon."

"Eww, that's my brother you're talking about. Matt did claim they kissed once already."

"YEAH BOI!"

Shay gave the speedster a smile. "I'm glad he's having a good time. Did Matt tell you anything about his date?"

"About the guy? That he's really good looking. Oh, and his name: Lotor."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matt doesn't realize he's in trouble...but he will very soon. O_o  
> (#SaveMattHolt)
> 
>  
> 
> Next up: Matt's date gets crashed, Keith and Lance get closer, and 'Voltron' grants a new power
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	12. Suspicious Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's dead. Someone's romanced. And someone's got really bad taste in men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brings up a few heavy topics - but there is fluffy loveliness sandwiched in there. 
> 
> Just in case...
> 
>  
> 
> POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING: There are mentions of an off-screen character death (with suspicious circumstances) and a fight/assault between two other characters.

Keith retired to the guest room, intending to add to his 'Voltron' notes and do some more digging online. What he hadn't expected was for Lance to follow him, the other man insisting he wanted to help. With a shrug, he allowed Lance to come inside before shutting the door. 

Lance spared a glance at the wall of post-it-notes before throwing himself on the bed, patting the space to his side in invitation. Instead of accepting, Keith grabbed his post-it-notes and sharpie marker, scribbling down a notation about Shiro. When he was done, he placed it on the wall beside the notes on their friends. Taking a step back, Keith looked over all the information. The facts about the actual machine itself were thin; he decided to confirm Rolo's story about where the machine came from and how he acquired it.

Turning to the bed, he yanked his tablet away from Lance who, judging by the screen, had been googling 'how to seduce someone that's emotionally constipated.' Keith snorted and sat down at the foot of the bed, ignoring how the other man's feet gently nudged his thigh. Pulling up a new browser window, he searched for 'Haggar's Maine' and, finding the bar did indeed exist, clicked on the link to its website. The site was to be as expected for a dive bar - deep blue background with white and red lettering, just a single page listing the address, phone number, hours of operation, and food/drink menu. Keith returned to the search results, clicking on some of the Yelp! reviews to get a better impression of the bar; most people, it turned out, rated it poorly. The common themes to the reviews were rude staff and inadequate parking. Nothing stood out to Keith was being relevant to 'Voltron,' so he once again went back to the search results. Towards the bottom of the page was a link to an obituary; curious, he clicked on it.

"Whatcha looking at, Keithy boy?" Lance asked playfully. Keith shushed him as he read, barely registering the other man shifting on the bed so he could see the screen, too. The obituary was for a former employee named Thace Allard, who died in a fire four months ago. He was 34 years old, single, and had no surviving relatives.

"Rolo got 'Voltron' from Haggar's three months ago, correct?" Keith looked over his shoulder at Lance, meeting the other man's troubled blue eyes.

"Yeah, the machine was new to the bar when I played it."

Keith grunted in acknowledgement, turning back to the screen. He next looked up Thace Allard, not particularly surprised when only a few results popped up (including the obituary he'd just seen). An article on his death from the local paper seemed promising, so Keith chose to select that to view. It was a short piece on the "unfortunate tragedy," the only interesting tid it it revealed being that, after a thorough investigation, his death was ruled an accident but authorities could not determine a cause or accelerant to the fire. Keith had to wonder, how'd the fire break out then? 

"Wow, that's an awful way to die," Lance whispered.

"This happened so close to when they sold 'Voltron' to Rolo. It's too much of a coincidence; I have a hard time believing it's not connected." At Lance's confused look, he continued, "What if he had the power to produce fire and it got out of control?" 

"That's kind of a stretch, dude. You might as well speculate if the owner killed him for knowing too much about the machine and then covered it up."

"Ooh, yes that's possible, too."

"Mullet," Lance sighed, a troubled expression crossing his face. "Either way you look at it, this is dangerous to pursue. Do you really want to add this to our load? What if it's really not connected?"

"I can't just ignore this, Lance," Keith scowled. "Even if this isn't related, I may be able to find out more about 'Voltron' if I go to Haggar's and speak to the staff."

"But Pidge already went there," the other man whined.

"Yes, and we've learned new information since then that we can ask them about. And it might as well be me that goes, I'm the easiest to uproot."

Lance groaned in frustration and let himself drop back on the bed. "Fine. If/when you go, I'm going with you."

"Oh, um. Thanks, I appreciate that."

"But if they kill us, you owe me a fancy, sexy date! I'm talking five-star restaurant, romantic mood music, rose petals on the bed, champagne and strawberries in the jacuzzi, the whole nine yards."

Keith scoffed, "You do realize if they kill us, we'll both be too dead to do any of that."

"Just promise me, Keith." Lance shot him a pleading look.

"Whatever."

"I'll accept that. So now can we take a cuddle break?" He opened his arms to Keith, gesturing for the other man to lay down in his arms.

It was on the tip of Keith's tongue to say 'no,' but the barely masked vulnerability on Lance's face changed his mind. Keith slid his tablet onto the nightstand and laid down beside the other man, facing him on his side.

"That's not cuddling, Keithy. You don't have to leave room for God here, I don't bite."

"But maybe I do." Keith snickered at Lance's blush, scooting closer until there was an inch between them. He took the time to study the other man's face, starting with his bright blue eyes and ending with his wide, thin lips. They were very soft, he remembered, when Lance kissed him on the beach. A quick glance back up at Lance's eyes, and Keith realized the other man was staring at his mouth, no doubt thinking about their kiss as well. This next kiss, he wanted to be the one to initiate; he didn't realize he was leaning forward and pressing his lips to Lance's until he heard the other man's breathy moan in response. Keith opened his mouth, teasing with the tip of his tongue until Lance allowed him inside his own.

The sweet reverence was still there, but this time their kiss also carried a quiet desperation. Lips and tongues moving in frantic harmony, the wet sounds from their movements a melodic backdrop to the spilled moans and gasps. If Keith hadn't been so engrossed in the kiss, he might've been alarmed at how his entire body tingled despite their mouths being the only parts in contact. As it were, all he cared about was Lance - more specifically, his mouth and continuing to elicit delicious noises from it. His lips grew sore from a combination of the voracity with which he kissed his partner and the amount of time passed, but it didn't stop him from pressing in for more.

When Lance eventually began to pull back, Keith chased after him with a moaned 'please.' The other man's face scrunched as if in pain but he persisted, pulling back until the delicate string of saliva connecting their lips broke.

"We should stop," he whispered hoarsely, "while we still can." Keith didn't respond at first, his eyes focused on Lance's beautiful face. After several moments of watching the other man, his breathing eventually returned to normal and he regained his wits enough to murmur an agreement. Shooting him a small smile, Lance said, "You're one hell of a kisser, babe." It wasn't necessarily funny or intended to be funny, but his comment made Keith giggle; the other man, though, didn't seem to mind. "And you've got a cute giggle. Quiznak, Keith. You're killing me."

Keith rolled his eyes in mock exasperation but didn't bother to conceal his grin. He pushed himself into a sitting position, the additional space grounding him. "Maybe we should go downstairs, join the others."

"Yeah," Lance reluctantly sighed. "Chaperones are a good idea right now."

The two men walked back down to the kitchen, surprised to find Shay alone. Keith glanced around for Hunk and Pidge as Lance approached his friend, frowning when he noticed the woman's worried expression as she continued to stare at her cup of tea.

"Shay, what's wrong?" Lance's voice was gentle as he sat down beside Shay.

She looked up at him, dark eyes troubled. "Pidge got a couple of strange texts from Matt. I don't know what they said exactly, but it seemed to really freak them out. Hunk went with them to go check up on Matt, make sure everything's okay."

"How long ago did they leave?"

"About an hour ago."

Keith stepped forward, joining the conversation. "Has Hunk texted you, or have you tried texting him?"

"I texted him, but he hasn't responded. I just hope nothing bad happened."

"I'm sure it's fine, Shay. They're probably on their way back," Lance assured her, patting Shay's hand with his own. "If you want, I can fly around and check?"

"It's okay," Shay replied, shooting him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You're right, they'll be back soon. I'm just being silly."

Keith stepped forward. "It's not silly to worry about your loved ones, Shay. If we don't hear from them soon, Lance and I will go by Matt and Pidge's place."

The three weren't left waiting long, as several minutes later they heard the front door slam open and then shut. Pidge sped into the room, nearly crashing into the kitchen counter before skidding to a stop. They looked a bit pale (well, paler than usual) but did wave in greeting to their friends.

"Yo Pidgeon, everything okay with Matt?"

Pidge turned to Lance. "It is now." When they made no further comment, Lance prompted them to continue. Sighing, Pidge sat down at the table. "Matt's guy turned out to be a jerk. When we got there, they were sort of wrestling on the floor - and not in a playful or sexy way. Matt was struggling to get away and the guy just wasn't letting up. But when he spotted me and Hunk, he did back off and leave."

"Jeez, I wonder what Matt did to upset Prince Charming," Lance wondered aloud. Keith swatted him in the arm, shooting him a dirty look.

Shay asked, "Is Hunk on his way? Is Matt coming with him?"

"Yes and yes."

The group wanted to ply the speedster with questions, but they all seemed to sense their friend's weariness and therefore let them sit in peace. Later when the front door slammed open again, they all breathed a sigh of relief at the return of the others. Keith was the first to spot what he assumed was Hunk, his eyes widening at the lumbering bear as it prowled into the kitchen...with a four-armed Matt clinging to its back.

Shay ran from her chair to greet her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around the bear's neck and mumbling into its fur, "Thank goddess, I was starting to worry, honey. Although seriously, no bear in the house - we've talked about this." The bear gave a strangled, seemingly apologetic roar in response. At his girlfriend's prodding, Hunk padded into the other room to shift back as Shay went upstairs to fetch him clothes.

Matt climbed down, leaving the couple to their moment. He forced a smile and waved all four of his arms at Lance and Keith. "Hello again." Both men gaped at him, causing him to look down; he jolted as if just noticing his extra appendages. With a quick shake, the other set of arms disappeared. "Sorry. Needed a little extra support, bears are surprisingly fast runners."

"Sit down," Pidge directed him, their sibling take the chair beside them.

"I'm assuming Pidge told you what happened?" Matt asked, a dejected look on his face.

"Man troubles? Yeah," Lance said, leaning forward, "but they didn't go into detail. What happened? Last I heard, you guys were about to Netflix and chill."

"More like On Demand and hold hands. But yes, I thought the date was going well. We decided to put on 'Logan's Run,' and we had a good conversation going while watching it. It wasn't until halfway through the movie that things changed. One minute we're planning a second date to Javier's, and the next Lotor shoved me off the couch. I was expecting him to apologize or at least help me up, but instead he jumped on me. He kept yelling at me to 'show him what I can do' while trying to choke me. I was able to squirm away and text Pidge, but he kept coming at me. I thought he was gonna kill me; it was honestly terrifying."

"Wow, Lotor's a rapey son of a bitch," Lance spat with disgust. Keith frowned, a niggling suspicion at the back of his mind that Lotor's attack meant something else entirely. He chose not to voice his concerns, however, because Matt clearly had enough trauma for the night. Exchanging a look with Lance, he decided to confide in the other man during their flight later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shallura was supposed to make an appearance, but I moved them to a future chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! This was a tough chapter for me to write due to some of the subject matter, but I pushed myself to work through it. I'd love to hear what you guys thought. <3


	13. Chain Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did somebody order klangst with a dash of fluff?

In less than 48 hours, Keith felt he'd been put through a gauntlet of emotions: shocked, excited, aroused, sad, to name a few. Most of it he thought he handled very well, but the suspicion plaguing his mind right now was almost unbearable. It didn't help that a thick tension blanketed everyone in the house after Matt's arrival; each person, he observed, responded to it differently. Hunk baked cupcakes and gave the speedster a run for her money as he whipped around the kitchen. Shay made tea and took to hovering over her friends, concern naked in her eyes. Matt dozed off in his chair, slouched just enough to get comfortable without the threat of toppling over. Pidge was all but glued to their phone, furiously tapping on the screen and murmuring the occasional 'ahuh' whenever anyone addressed them. Lance talked, nonstop, in a loud and falsely cheery voice, to the extent that Keith was concerned the other man would shatter everyone's eardrums as the volume increased. And Keith himself was dealing no better, anxiously bouncing his feet beneath the table and darting glances at the others.

When his phone rang, Keith nearly cried with relief, using it as an excuse to flee out to the back porch. A quick look at the screen told him Shiro was calling, and he answered without much thought. "Hey Shiro."

"Hello Keith. I wanted to talk with you about your last text, if you're free."

"Oh, sure. So does tomorrow night work for you and your...friend, or girlfriend, or whatever she is to you?"

Shiro chuckled, "Allura's a bit of both. Yes, we are both able to meet up tomorrow night. Did you have a time in mind?"

"My friends aren't free until 6pm; how about we meet at 7?"

"That's fine." After a pause, he asked, "Does that mean you're available earlier in the day?"

"Um, yes?"

"Would you like to grab coffee? I'd like to hear more about your investigation into 'Voltron.' I can also fill you in on what I know, too."

Keith didn't hesitate to respond, "Yes, definitely." He was very curious to hear what Shiro knew of 'Voltron,' as they hadn't had the opportunity to really speak about it before. "What time works for you?"

"Would 10am be too early? I know the perfect place, it's quiet mid-late mornings."

"I can do 10. Where did you have in mind?" A sudden thought occurred to him: unless he intended to have Lance drop him off, Keith'd have to walk or be limited to public transportation. That prompted him to add, "I don't have a car, so..."

"I'll pick you up. Where are you staying?"

"Um," Keith realized he didn't know the address. He figured he could ask Hunk or Shay, or see if they had any magazine subscriptions or mail lying about.

"I forgot you're from out-of-town, sorry." The smile was obvious in Shiro's voice as he said, "You can text me the address later."

A noise from behind startled Keith; he turned and saw Lance opening the door, joining him outside. The other man's expression, normally animated, was currently unreadable; it made Keith's earlier anxiety return. He kept his eyes on Lance as he told Shiro, "Okay, that sounds good. I need to get going now."

"No problem. I look forward to tomorrow. Have a good night, Keith."

"Me, too. Goodnight," he mumbled before ending the call.

Lance waited until the other man put his phone away before asking, "I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?"

"Not at all," Keith replied. "How's everything going in there?"

"Better. Shay snapped out of it and is cleaning up the mess Hunk made; he was a little overzealous when opening the bag of flour." He took a step closer then said, "I dunno about you, but I'm itching to get out of here for a while. Want to fly?" Instead of answering with words, Keith decided to do so with actions as he pulled the other man close and wrapped his arms around him. He closed his eyes as Lance propelled them into the sky, calm washing over him as the wind caressed his face and Lance's soft chuckles reached his ears.

After several minutes, Keith opened his eyes and looked up at Lance, pleased to see a small smile lingering on the other man's face. When the other man caught him looking, Keith softly said, "Hey."

"Hmm?" Lance hummed.

Hmm, indeed, Keith mused. He was torn over whether or not to voice his theory about what happened to Matt, reluctant to say anything that might ruin the other man's improved mood. Mulling over it for a few moments, he decided it was important enough to take the risk. "I think Matt's date knew he has a power."

"What the fu-?!" Lance shifted sharply, elbowing Keith's side. After he apologized and righted their position, he asked, "Why? Do you think Matt blabbed to him? I admit Matt's a bit naive, but he's not stupid."

"No. But don't you think it's suspicious that he told Matt to "show him what he could do'?"

"I think it's creepy, dude."

"I think he wanted Matt to reveal his power. How did Matt meet him, anyways? How long have they known eachother? He might've targeted Matt, tried the friendly/flirty route to get what he wanted - and when that didn't work, he switched tactics, threatening Matt's life to try to spur him."

"Babe, you could be an Olympic pole vaulter with all those leaps and bounds you make," Lance joked in an attempt to diffuse the moment. At Keith's blank stare, he groaned, "Ugh, okay. Let's just add this to your conspiracy board."

"It's a wall, not a board."

"You're killing me, mullet." Lance sighed in resignation. "Do you have any ideas on how to prove this theory?"

"Yeah, I'm going to question Matt." When Lance shot him an incredulous look, Keith hastily added, "Not tonight. I'll wait a couple of days, okay?" The other man merely grunted in response.

Silence fell over the two, and Keith inwardly chastised himself over bringing up that topic. Lance wanted to fly to escape the tension, and here he was shoving the man's face back into it. Should he apologize? Change to a different topic? Or continue to keep his mouth shut?

Lance's hushed voice at his ear suddenly jarred him. "I don't mean to belittle your thoughts and opinions, Keith. I love how your mind works, and I'm happy you feel comfortable sharing with me." Wait, had Lance thought he'd upset _him_? Keith was speechless, his only reaction a shiver as the other man spoke again, his breath tickling the sensitive skin surrounding his earlobe. "I'm going to help you get answers, in any way I can. We're in this together." Those words echoed in Keith's mind as he tilted and turned his head, meeting Lance halfway as the other man leaned in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this is so short.
> 
> I had a monster update planned, but I had to chop up the chapter because there's a section of it that needs rewriting and I wouldn't have gotten it all done in time to post before bed. (I'm deliriously tired, I had a looooooong day @_@) 
> 
> Next up: Boys being cute, Coffee w/ Shiro, Allura gets her game on, and much more!
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	14. Gone Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith sneaks off to meet Shiro and learns some interesting tidbits about this mysterious newcomer and 'Voltron.' Lance proves to be the most irresistible dork on the planet. And Allura gets her game on.

Keith awoke the next morning to the shrill beep of his alarm going off. Muttering a curse, he emerged from his blanket cocoon to turn it off, dropping his phone back onto the pillow beside him. The cheery cracks of sunlight peeking through the window blinds pierced his eyes, and Keith swore again before dragging himself out of bed and into the bathroom. As he freshened up, he thought back on last night. After their kiss, he and Lance flew around for another half-hour before the other man dropped him off back at Hunk's. At the time, he'd been disappointed when Lance left him at the door with a hug before flying to his own home. It wasn't that Keith wanted Lance to spend the night for lewd reasons - it was way too soon to even consider sex - but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't wanted to sleep beside him. Now, in the morning light however, Keith was grateful to wake up alone; he had Shiro to meet with, after all... Assuming he could find out the address to text Shiro. With that in mind, he hurried and pulled on a fresh pair of clothing.

Much to his relief, Hunk and Shay were nowhere to be seen when he reached the downstairs. They must be at work already, he mused as he walked into the kitchen. Unsure of where to search first - where do people keep their mail, anyways? - he glanced around the room. A note magnetized on the refrigerator caught his eye: in neat print were Hunk and Shay's cell phone numbers, along with a reminder to make himself at home. Considering the hearts surrounding Hunk's name, Shay had to have been the one to leave it for him. Keith was humbled by her thoughtfulness, making sure to enter their numbers into his phone.

As he rummaged through the kitchen cabinet drawers, Keith tempered any feelings of guilt by reminding himself that he wasn't doing anything nefarious - he just needed an address, and quick, because it was quickly approaching the time when he wa supposed to meet up with Shiro. Fortunately, he came across a junk advertisement addressed to the residents, listing their street name and house number. Immediately after texting the information to Shiro, his phone pinged with a new message. It was from an unknown number and, after some debate, he decided to open it; Keith rolled his eyes when he read: 'mornin' babe its Lance but u can call me ur dream man ;) u up yet? how'd u sleep?'

If he ignored the message, Keith worried the other man would fly over to check on him, so he typed: 'Hello Lance. Yes, I am awake. I slept well.'

Lance's response came a few moments later. 'gr8t i slept good 2 in case u were curious :P u wanna get breakfast?'

Keith spotted a new message from Shiro, the other man confirming he was on his way to pick him up from the house. Turning back to his message from Lance, he turned down the offer for breakfast and let Lance know he was heading out for an hour or two. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Keith headed out front to wait for Shiro on the steps.

It didn't take long for the other man to show up, not that Keith would've minded because the weather was quite lovely today. To his surprise, Shiro arrived on a motorcycle, dressed once again in all black and sporting gloves. Keith accepted the helmet handed to him and hopped behind Shiro, wrapping his arms around the other man's waist and trying not to compare its slimness to that of Lance. Though he preferred the latter's build - all lithe lines and soft skin - he couldn't deny the hotness of Shiro's trim and ripped physique as his hands met the ridges of an obvious six-pack. He held on just tight enough to not fall off as the other man drove.

The cafe they pulled up to was tiny, the building nestled between a hardware store and a nail salon in a stripmall. Shiro parked, stored away both helmets, and ushered the other man inside. Something cinnamon and sweet permeated the air, and Keith's mouth watered; whatever that was, he was going to eat it - with a cup of coffee, of course. After the two men placed their orders, Shiro motioned for Keith to join him at one of the few tables while they waited for their breakfast.

"I'm glad you were free today, Keith. It's nice to have someone to talk to about this - aside from Allura, of course."

Ah yes, the girlfriend (slash girl friend?). Keith wondered how much the other man discussed with her, what she thought of everything, and asked as much.

Shiro flashed him a bright smile, revealing dimples - because of course he had dimples - in his cheeks that the other man had not noticed before. "Almost from the very beginning. I admit I didn't tell her at first, mainly because I didn't understand what was happening to me. Since my power is so cerebral, I originally thought I was having a nervous breakdown or a bad reaction to my medication. But then I realized it was something else, and I confided in her. Allura was scared, naturally so, but she's always been supportive. It's funny that you mentioned the possibility of it being magic-related; that's what Allura thinks, too."

"What do you think it is, Shiro?"

Before he could answer, a server brought their drinks and food to the table. Keith dug into his caramel confection - an alfajor, the cashier had informed him when ordering - as he waited for Shiro to speak. The other man ignored his own food, a small biscuit of some sort, and took several sips of his iced tea then said, "I'm leaning more towards alien tech."

"What makes you think that?"

Shiro shrugged. "Just a feeling. Could be wrong though."

To an outside observer, Keith probably looked like his was frowning over the food; he wasn't, it was the most delectable bite he'd ever put in his mouth. Now more than ever, he wanted to know if/what Shiro knew about 'Voltron.' After finishing his sweet, he asked, "Have you done any research on the machine?"

"A little. I went back to the bar a few days later to see if the bartender knew anything."

Keith gasped, "That lying snake! We talked to Rolo and he said he hadn't seen you again."

"Oh he didn't," Shiro assured him, reaching over to placatingly pat one of the other man's hands. "I wasn't sure if he could be trusted, and I didn't want to draw attention to myself; I wore a baseball hat and hung out in the back of the bar while I read his mind."

When Shiro made no motion to continue, Keith prompted, "And what did you find out?"

"Rolo got it off Craigslist, from the owner of a bar called Haggar's in Maine. I'm sure you knew that." At Keith's nod, the other man continued, "There's more to the story than that. I'm betting he didn't tell you how much he paid for it, right?"

"No. Rolo said he needed a new machine, and he got 'Voltron' for a good deal."

Shiro smiled, dimples back in action, and leaned forward, dropping his voice as he said, "It was a great deal - because he got it for free. The older owner all but begged him to take it, even arranged and paid for the delivery."

Now that was interesting, Keith thought. "Did Rolo know why the old owner was getting rid of it? Did they tell him anything?"

"They didn't say, and Rolo didn't ask; he heard the word 'free' and accepted."

A trip to Haggar's was definitely in order now; Keith made a mental note to plan it out with Lance later. "What else do you know about 'Voltron'?"

"Not much, I haven't had the chance to do any further digging. I did a quick read of the other bartender's mind. Rolo fed her the same story he probably told you guys; she suspects he might be lying, but she doesn't care enough to question it."

Keith waited until Shiro finished his breakfast before offering, "Would you like me to tell you more about our investigation now?"

"You already did," Shiro chuckled, gesturing to his head. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

That was...unnerving, and a little rude, Keith thought. He brushed it off though, because no doubt Shiro would pick up on his displeasure, and instead asked, "How much have you explored your ability?"

"More than you have yours." The other man looked amused as he said, "Keith, you've got a lot more going on than you realize."

"Y-you can tell that?"

"Yes."

"Will you tell me?"

"No." Shiro smiled when the other man glared at him. "Some things a man needs to figure out for himself, at his own pace. It's like my therapist always says: patience yields focus."

Keith rolled his eyes. Patience was not his strong suit; impatience, on the other hand... Steering the conversation back to an earlier topic, he asked, "So is Allura really okay with playing 'Voltron'? If Shay's spell didn't work, she could end up with a power. I don't want either of you to feel pressured; we can find some other way to test it."

"Allura wants to do it. We've discussed the risk, and that hasn't changed her mind." Shiro pulled out his phone, sighing at the time. "I need to take care of a few things before we all meet tonight. If you're ready to go, I'll drop you back off at your friend's place."

"Oh sure. Thank you."

The two men exited the cafe and returned to Shiro's motorcycle, clicking on their helmets before driving to Hunk's. They pulled up to the driveway, and Keith thanked the other man again as he got off and removed his helmet. It wasn't until Shiro's motorcycle turned the street corner that Keith realized he didn't have a key to get back into the house. He took out his cellphone and texted Lance to ask if there was a spare available.

Keith nearly jumped when the front door to the house suddenly swung open, blinking when he saw Lance standing there eating a donut. He entered and shut the door behind himself, following the other man to the kitchen. On the table sat an opened box of donuts, which Lance once again dug into as he plucked out a second donut.

"I didn't realize you were here," Keith commented as he watched Lance take a vicious bite out of his treat.

Lance's voice was muffled as he replied, "I knew you didn't have a key, and I didn't want you to have to wait outside until Hunk or Shay got home."

Ah, Keith thought, that was nice of him.

"Where'd you end up going? Or is it like personal or something...?"

"No, it's fine. I had breakfast with Shiro."

When the other man began to cough, Keith rushed forward and patted him on the back. "I'm okay, I'm okay," Lance wheezed, clearing his throat. His jaw looked tensed when he confessed, "I wasn't expecting that. Did you guys, um, have fun?"

"I guess? The food was awesome; god Lance, we have to go there sometime. I had something called an alfajor, it was a caramel filled sandwich cookie type thing. So good. I bet you'd love them, too."

"Yeah." Lance looked Keith over, a small frown on his face. After a moment, he sighed. "Well, I'm glad you had a good time. Shiro's a hot guy, seemed pretty decent."

Keith nodded. "He told me he read Rolo's mind after he got his power. Turns out Rolo got the machine for free, the old owner was eager to pawn it off on him. We definitely have to ask about that when we visit Haggar's. Speaking of, when should we?"

"Um," Lance glanced down at the other half of donut in his hand then proceeded to toss it out. He waited until he'd turned back to face the other man before saying, "I'm flexible, so whenever you want."

"I think we should do it sooner rather than later. Is tomorrow too soon, or should we maybe wait for the weekend?"

"Tomorrow's fine." He voice sounded strained when he added, "I'm surprised you don't want Shiro to come." Keith shot him a confused look, to which Lance responded, "It'd make things easier and less dangerous, since he could read the minds of the people that work there."

"Good point."

"And, you know, he's a good looking guy. So like, yeah..."

"Huh?" It took a moment for Keith to realize what the other man was implying. He let out a wail. "Seriously, Lance?! Shiro has a girlfriend- "

"He could be in an open relationship."

"And I have you!" Keith spat. Lance's answering blush lessened his annoyance, until he realized exactly what he'd said and how he'd said it. He felt his cheeks grow warm, too, and scowled.

A grin broke out on Lance's face the longer he looked at Keith. Eventually he said, "You're right. Sorry, babe."

Keith let out a strangled noise. "Whatever. I'm going upstairs to take a nap." He didn't wait for Lance to respond and fled from the room. When he reached the guest room, he slammed the door shut. And locked it for good measure, in case the other man tried to enter.

Despite the distance, Lance's loud laughter still reached his ears, and Keith threw himself on the bed, ignoring the giddiness he felt at the other man's amusement.

 

* * *

 

This time when Keith woke up, it was to Lance softly calling his name. Of course he'd managed to get in the locked room, Keith thought bitterly. Groaning, he buried his face further in his pillow and grumbled, 'go away,' hoping the other man would take a hint.

He didn't.

Keith yelped when two hands snaked around his ankle and forcefully yanked him down to the end of the bed. He glared at Lance as he kicked out his other leg, letting out a satisfied grunt when it connected with the other man's arm.

"Quiznak!" Lance withdrew and rubbed the spot the other man had swatted. "Are you always a prissy princess when you get woken up?"

"A what?"

"Stop giving me the death stare, mullet. I'm definitely never sleeping with you now if this is what I have to look forward to."

"WHAT?!"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Listen, princess. Dinner's almost ready, and after we eat we're gonna head to Javier's. So if you're hungry, come join us. And if you're not hungry...still join us." He dodged the pillow Keith threw at him and ran from the room.

Wth a sigh, Keith heaved himself out of bed and went into the bathroom to splash some cool water on his face. By the time he went downstairs to the kitchen, his mood had greatly improved; Keith smiled in greeting and took a seat at the table beside Lance. He wasn't hungry, but to be polite he did snag a few spoonfuls of the pasta dish off Lance's plate. It was delicious, as was to be expected of Hunk's cooking.

After everyone had finished, they left for the bar as planned, Lance flying with Keith as the speedster sped off and the other couple took their car. Pidge was already inside waiting for their friends, this time seated at the table near 'Voltron' with Shiro and a woman that was no doubt Allura. Silver-blonde hair, tan, tall - Keith realized she was the same woman he'd seen briefly at Shay's shop yesterday. He looked to Lance, wondering if the other man caught on, only slightly disappointed at the dopey smile on his face.

"Hey Allura. I didn't know Shiro was your boyfriend," Shay said with a smile, hugging the other woman.

"How the-?" Hunk asked, voicing the confusion the others felt.

"Allura's one of my customers," Shay explained.

"Oh. Nice to meet you, I'm Hunk." The rest of the group introduced themselves as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, even under these circumstances." Allura's voice was just as lovely as the rest of her. "Shall we get started?"

"You're the one playing, you can begin whenever you want," Pidge said with a shrug.

"Excellent!" As Allura slipped a quarter into 'Voltron,' she said, "I'm eager to see if this game is as difficult as Shiro claims."

Keith turned to Shiro, "That reminds me, how did you get such a high score? I made 2nd place and my total was nowhere near yours."

"You want to know what was different about my experience, hmm," Shiro said thoughtfully. Keith realized the other man was reading his mind as he continued, "Well, I played as the black paladin, not the red. I spent most of the game in one-on-one combat Zarkon, he seemed really keen on taking control of my lion. When I managed to beat him, I did get a message screen similar to yours."

"So more points are awarded when facing Zarkon directly as opposed to his army?"

Shiro murmured noncommittally as his gaze to Allura. Lance and Pidge flanked the woman's sides, each giving her unsolicited advice on how to handle the attacks. Hunk and Shay moved to the bar, grabbing drinks and chatting with Nyma to distract her as the bar was otherwise mostly empty. Keith sat quietly and studied Lance from behind, admiring the other man's, well, behind.

Lance's shrill cry caught Keith's attention. "Look!"

Keith joined the others, his eyebrows shooting up when he saw the game's screen. It appeared that Allura's paladin - a pink one? He didn't recall that being an option - was confronting Zarkon on hood of the emperor's ship, dialogue rapidly firing as the villain threatened: _'Princess, your Paladins are weak. They cannot form Voltron, Voltron is mine! Surrender yourself to me or I will rip your world apart.'_ A dialogue box popped up, asking, ' _Do you submit to your master? Y (Green button) or N (Red button)_?'

Allura smirked in response and said, "Hell no," as she tapped the red button. Instead of returning to a battle screen, the game brought up a closeup shot of Zarkon. Keith recalled when he got this type of screen during his play through, curious to see how this one would differ.

Zarkon's voice shook with rage as he hissed: ' _You have chosen the foolish path, and for that you will suffer most. I will destroy your Paladins before you eyes, drown you in their agony until you go mad. Then I will turn my blade on you, bathe in your blood as I carve out your treacherous heart. There is nowhere you can hide, Princess. I am coming for you._ '

The screen flashed black, and everyone waited for the next to load. Keith let out a sigh of relief when it returned Allura's paladin to its flying castle - _wait, no flying lion?_ \- and prompted her to fire on Zarkon's ship. After she blew up her enemy's vessel, Allura was immediately taken to the high score screen. She hadn't made the top five, but she did manage to take sixth place from Lance, drawing a shriek from him. Keith silently chuckled at the other man's misery.

"Laugh it up while you can, mullet. One day I'm gonna annihilate your score."

"Right. One day." Lance's responding cry of indignation only made Keith laugh all the more.

Pidge ignored them and turned to Shiro and Allura. "While we play the waiting game to see if Allura gets a power, I suggest we order some churros. Or beer. Or both. I'm fine with both." The other two agreed and followed the speedster to the bar.

Realizing he was (relatively) alone with Lance, Keith asked, "What should we do?"

Lance's eyes lit up. He threw an arm around Keith's shoulders, pulling the other man close. "I can think of a few things I'd like to do."

"Like what?"

He licked his lips and whispered in the other man's ear, "Like makeout with you in the parking lot."

"Um." Keith suspected Lance had been partially joking, but he could honestly think of no better way to pass the time.

Wordlessly, he pulled from Lance's arm and took hold of his wrist, leading the other man outside. They'd hardly made it out the door before Lance was peppering the side of Keith's neck with kisses. Keith closed his eyes and tilted his head to give the other man better access, shivering at the pleasant sensation of those soft lips on his sensitive skin.

When Lance withdrew, Keith whined at the loss. Opening his eyes, he frowned at the troubled expression on the other man's face. It took him a moment to realize Lance was looking at something behind him. Turning around, Keith spotted a someone in a hoodie standing several feet away, a weapon raised and aimed right at them; it looked like a large gun of sorts, the muzzle wide. _Protect Lance,_ his mind seemed to chant as the stranger's finger curled against the trigger.

In a blind panic, Keith tapped into his power. Lance's screams sounded so distant as Keith felt every cell in his body burn with bright light, his own louder screams soon joining in as he began to explode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That ending... #SorryNotSorry 
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> *hug*
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> Big thanks to everyone for your continued support! Your clicks, kudos, and comments make my day, you guys are the best. <3


	15. The Return Of The Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See chapter title.

For all Keith's wacky adventures and encounters with the supernatural, the one thing he'd never experienced was an out-of-body experience - that is, until now. One minute Keith was in searing pain, the next he was shrouded by a dark, zen trance. If it hadn't been for the memory of Lance's agonized screams, he might've even enjoyed it. Instead, he pushed hard against the meditative void, determined to reunite with the other man. He wasn't sure how long the struggle lasted, but it felt like only minutes before he reconnected with his body, each of his senses returning as if by flicks of switches. Taste was first, a faint acridity coating his tongue. Then came smell, causing him to cringe as the scent of asphalt and burnt hair pervaded his nasal passages. Hearing followed, the voices of his friends flooding his ears in a jumbled cacophony. The final two - sight and touch - rushed back all at once, further overwhelming Keith as he became aware of his precarious predicament: he was sprawled out, shivering on the slightly damp pavement of the parking lot. His friends were standing by Shiro's motorcycle, seemingly arguing and talking over eachother.

Oh, and he was naked.

Keith was too exhausted to blush or move, but he did muster up the energy to speak loud enough for his friends to notice him. "Uh, guys? Could I...get some clothes?"

They all ran over at once, Lance pushing and elbowing his way past the others to reach him first. He took off his jacket and draped it over the other man's lower body. "Keith?" It was obvious the other man had been crying, his eyes still puffy and watery.

"Thanks," Keith murmured, inwardly cringing at how wrecked his voice sounded. He looked at his other friends, noting the mirrored looks of surprise, fear, and concern on their faces. "W-what happened? Did I faint?"

Lance's eyes widened right before he screamed, standing up so abruptly that the other man flinched; shrieking what were no doubt curses in Spanish, he stalked off. Hunk shot Keith a sympathetic look before he chased after his upset friend.

Shiro was the one to eventually answer him, kneeling down so the other man could hear him over Lance's continuous rant. "Your exploded, Keith. And after that you...disappeared. We can explain more after we get you out of here."

Keith allowed Shiro to pick him up - grateful that the other man was mindful of his covering - and carried him to Shay's car. He whimpered when Shiro withdrew, which prompted the other man to grace him with a soft smile. "Don't worry, I'm going to follow on my bike. Then we'll talk about what happened, all of us."

"Hunk, Lance, we need to go. It's a miracle anyone hasn't caught us yet," Shay pleaded, motioning for them to get in the car, too. Lance quieted at that, a scowl on his face as he and Hunk joined her.

The speedster ran ahead as per usual, the others following behind via their car and motorcycle. It didn't actually take them long to reach Hunk and Shay's house, but Keith squirmed impatiently in his seat, both uncomfortable with his undress and the anger radiating off of Lance, who refused to even look at the other man. Shiro carried Keith inside, immediately taking him upstairs to the guest bedroom.

"Do you need help dressing?"

Keith nodded, a flush on his cheeks. His mortification only grew when Shiro asked, "Do you want me to help, or should I call Lance?" He wanted Lance but, given the other man's mood, Keith opted to let Shiro help him dress, trying to keep his face neutral at the awkward intimacy.

By the time they were done, Keith felt strong enough to walk downstairs, Shiro close behind to steady him should he stumble; fortunately, Keith made it with minimal incident. They found the others in the living room, Hunk, Shay, and Pidge on the sofa while Allura sat cross-legged on the floor. Lance was the only one not sitting, instead choosing to pace behind the others, his eyes locking on Keith and sharply watching the other man. Shiro joined his girlfriend on the floor, and Keith managed to sit down on the empty armchair.

"So I really did explode. Did I do any damage?" Keith realized he'd been too dazed to notice if the nearby building and cars were affected.

"Other than to your clothes and Lance's sanity, no," Pidge replied. 

Keith cleared his throat, stalling as he searched for words. "And then I disappeared. What else?"

"According to what Lance told us, your entire body dissipated into a mass of free-floating lights. When we got outside, we founce him trying to herd them like a deranged, flying sheepdog." Pidge's expression turned sheepish when Hunk shot them a disapproving look.

"But then the lights blinked out, and we thought you were gone." Hunk looked at Shiro. "If he hadn't sensed you, we might've ended up leaving before you reformed."

At Keith's questioning look, Shiro clarified, "I could hear you thinking. Not your specific thoughts, just the general impression that you were still alive."

"How long was I...gone?"

"Six hours," Lance whispered, his voice just loud enough for Keith to catch.

They'd waited six hours in that parking lot for him to reappear? Keith paled. He suddenly remembered the man that caused it all and directed his next question to Lance. "What happened to the shooter?" Keith instantly regretted asking when he saw the other man's eyes tear up again. 

Shiro took pity on Lance and answered for him. "He was gone by the time I got outside, so he must've ran off during the chaos. I checked Lance's mind, and he was so focused what was happening to you that he lost track of the gunman."

How will we find him now? Keith wanted to yell, frustration singing in his veins. How am I going to find out why he was there and targeting us? He knew it would be useless to lash out at his friends, so he squashed the bitterness down (for now). The others seemed to be waiting for his response, so Keith mumbled, "That's a shame." After a pause, he added, "I can't believe you guys waited six hours for me." 

Pidge shrugged. "Eh, it wasn't so bad. Allura ended up getting a power, so that rules out the enchantment theory for 'Voltron.' We started discussing how to proceed now that we know it's alien tech."

"Oh?" Keith was more curious about the latter, but he figured it'd be rude not to ask Allura, "What happened?"

Allura flashed him a smile as she held out her palm upward; a small puff of white smoke swirled up from the center. She allowed the smoke to grow double in size before fisting her hand, causing it to disperse. "Luckily I was in the women's restroom when my power manifested. I can change the smoke color, too; my first one was lilac."

That was pretty cool, Keith conceded. He desperately wanted to ask more questions but, after a quick glance at Lance, he decided to wait. The other man looked worn out, the worry from earlier taking its toll. He clearly needed to rest, or at least sit down; but knowing him, he wouldn't do either of his own volition. With that in mind, Keith said, "I'm still feeing drained and cold from earlier. Would you guys mind if I go lie down for a bit?"

"Not at all," Hunk replied. "If you need anything, let us know. There's extra blankets in the linen closet if you want to grab some."

"Yeah, a blanket sounds nice." Keith looked at Lance. "Can you show me where it is?" The other man's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he nodded, escorting him upstairs. Keith waited until they were out of earshot of the others before he admitted, "I don't really want a blanket."

"I figured."

"Can you," Keith's voice faltered, "um, lie down with me? I don't want to be alone right now."

Lance's briefly expression hardened, and Keith braced himself for rejection. He let out a gasp when the other man said, "Alright. Just promise me one thing?"

"Okay?"

"Try to keep the prissy princessing to a minimum. I'm tired as quiznak." Lance chuckled at the other man's answering glare. Keith's annoyance was mostly for show, though; that internal giddiness bubbled once again at the sound of Lance's laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear Lance would've killed me if I didn't let him go upstairs with Keith. Speaking of Lance, would anyone be interested in reading about what happened between last chapter and this one as told from his POV? 
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> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading! <3


	16. Bedtime Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance discuss more of what happened earlier in the night. Klangst ensues.

Keith hadn't intended to fall asleep - he figured he could just lay quietly and watch Lance rest, in a totally non-creepy way - but apparently he'd been more tired than he thought because he awoke to Lance petting his hair. Not even bothering to open his eyes, he scoffed, "Enjoying yourself?"

"Actually, yes. Your mullet is super soft, dude; do you use a special cream rinse or something?"

"I'm not talking shampoo with you, Lance." Keith opened his eyes and swatted the other man's hand away. "Stop that, this isn't a petting zoo."

Lance snorted, cuddling closer to Keith until their faces were inches from one another. "And the prissy princess strikes again." His eyes turned serious as his gaze raked over the other man's face. "I'm so glad you're still here."

"It's not like I would've up and left you in bed, even if I had woken first."

"Keith, you're killing me," Lance groaned. "I meant that you didn't disappear again, like earlier."

Oh, Keith thought, he's referring to _that_. "Why? Did you think I would?"

"It was a strong possibility. You supernova'ed, dude. Legit, it looked like those pictures from NASA and stuff. Pidge, Hunk, and I talked about it while you were...gone...and we worried you might temporarily reappear only to vanish permanently."

The fear he'd seen in his friends' eyes earlier now made more sense. Although, he wondered, "Were you scared? When I started using my power, that is. I remember hearing you scream."

"I wasn't scared until you didn't show any signs of stopping. At first it was pretty if a bit blinding, but then you lit up so hot that it started burning you." Lance's lips quivered as he said, "Your clothes, your hair, your skin, it all burnt off u-until you finally exploded. The only thing left of you was those quiznaking glowing little lights."

"That you chased."

"I-I thought I could put you back together, somehow. I was distraught, Keith!"

In an attempt to calm the other man, Keith reached out to rub the other man's forearm. "I'm here now, everything's okay."

"Everything is _not_ okay. You can turn into a freaking supernova!" Lance's voice began to raise.

"At least I can't hurt anybody or anything else. Although that kind of defeats what I was going for." When he saw the confused expression on Lance's face, he explained, "I only used my power to protect you."

"What?"

"From the gunman - I didn't know who he was aiming at, but I didn't want you to get hurt. So I tapped into my power. I was thinking it'd launch an attack at him or something, but the light show worked in getting him to go away, I guess."

Lance's eyelid began to twitch; his jaw looked clenched so tight that it had to be painful. Did he maybe oppose the idea of being protected? Well tough, Keith thought, he was going to be whether he liked it or not. He opened his mouth to say just as much when Lance cut him off.

"Three things," Lance hissed. "One: you could physically hurt someone or something in the future if you don't control your power better. Two: that guy might've shot you, or me, or both of us regardless, so you were merely lucky." He paused, taking a shaky breath before adding, "And three: I _did_ get hurt."

Keith's eyes flickered over the man's face and down his body; he didn't see any signs of injury. "Huh?"

Shakily, he said, "You hurt me when you left me." He ignored Keith's gasp of surprise, a scowl darkening his face. "I thought you were dead. Even after Shiro said he could feel you thinking. I waited six hours for you in that quiznaking parking lot, trying not to go out of my mind with worry and grief. And when you suddenly reappeared, naked and dazed, it was all I could do not to throttle you." Leaning in until their lips were separated by a breath, he growled, "I _hate_ you, Keith Kogane."

Lance's following actions, of course, bellied that sentiment; he smashed his lips against Keith's, taking advantage of the other man's shock to force his tongue into the other's mouth. Their first kiss was sweet, their second playful, but this was something dark. Passion and anguish fueled Lance, spreading to Keith with each vicious stab of his tongue and sharp swipe of his mouth. Keith could feel saliva dripping down his chin, could feel the other man's moans and growls vibrate against him; his mouth was being ravaged, and he was loving every second of it.

When Lance abruptly pulled back, Keith nearly slumped forward. Each man studied the other, trying to decipher the storm of mixed emotions behind their eyes. Keith wasn't sure what Lance saw in his, but whatever it was, the other man didn't seem happy about it. Frowning, Lance muttered something unintelligible before he pushed himself up and left the room.

Keith swallowed back disappointment and forced himself to stand, staggering slightly before righting himself. His feet felt leaden as he made his way downstairs, using his power to light up his hands so he could see in the darkness. Glancing around, he saw no sign of Lance; had the other man left? As he turned to go back upstairs and grab his phone, Keith caught a glimpse of someone on the back porch.

To his surprise, it wasn't Lance; it was Hunk. Hunk was shirtless and adjusting the ties on his sweatpants, so lost in his movements that he startled when he spotted Keith watching him from the doorway.

"Oh, hey buddy." Hunk blushed as he realized Keith was staring at his bare chest. "I, um, just got back from a run. Well, more like a prowl. I didn't wake you, did I?" When Keith shook his head, Hunk sighed in relief. "I always worry I'll wake Shay one of these days, but she's such a deep sleeper that it hasn't been an issue yet. Hey, you look kind of pale - paler than usual - you okay?"

Hesitantly, Keith admitted, "I was looking for Lance. I think he's gone."

"He'll be back. He probably went home to get a change of clothes or something."

"Yeah."

Hunk stepped forward, concern furrowing his brow as he asked, "Did something happen?"

 _Yes_ , he wanted to say; instead, Keith shrugged and avoided meeting the other man's eyes, opting to stare down at his bare feet. He knew Hunk's hand was coming to rest on his shoulder, but he still flinched at the contact.

"He will come back, Keith. Lance sometimes gets overwhelmed and needs to move around a bit, work it out of his system."

Keith thought back to earlier in the parking lot, Lance's frantic pacing after he realized the other man was okay. Was this the same? "You sure you're not a mind reader like Shiro?" He attempted to joke to lessen the moment, but his voice came out too hushed to pull it off.

Hunk, however, took pity on him. "How about we wait together for him to get back? We can sit out here, or we could go hang out in the kitchen. Maybe make breakfast? Lance'll probably be hungry when he returns."

Did he believe Lance would return? No, at least not for a while. But did that stop him from going inside with Hunk to watch the other man whip up s'mores waffles? No.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am working on the Lance POV side story accompanying the last two chapters. I'll let everyone know when it's available. :) 
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> Shirtless Hunk + s'mores waffles = I die <3 
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> Next chapter will be more action-packed, and the mysterious gunman will be making an another appearance. *cue dramatic music*
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> Thanks to everyone for reading this, and for your continued support! <3


	17. What Happens In Little Tokyo Does *Not* Stay In Little Tokyo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day of bonding ends on a sour note

Lance didn't come back and, though his absence seemed to affect everyone, Keith felt it most. Because, he mentally chastised himself, it was _his_ fault. In his mind, he replayed their conversation from the night before (or was it technically early morning?); Keith had lost track of time, but one thing he couldn't forget was the other man's hurt blue eyes. Hunk's delicious waffles, Shay's sweet smiles, Pidge's hilarious commentary, even Shiro's arrival just in time to join them for breakfast - none of them could snap him out of this broody melancholy.

While the others reluctantly allowed him time alone, Shiro was relentlessly determined to cheer him up, going so far as to follow Keith upstairs and carry him out of the house as one would a feral cat.

"Get on the motorcycle," Shiro's voice left no room for discussion. At any other time, Keith would've fought him; now, however, he acquiesced and allowed the other man to take him to...where were they going? Keith wondered. The area they sped through didn't look too familiar, as they drew further away from the suburbs and into the city.

Eventually, Keith figured out where they were. The kanji on signs, small shops, and tantalizing aroma of fried fish all pointed to Little Tokyo. He'd heard of it, but he'd never had the pleasure of visiting before. And it was a pleasure; his melancholy lessened considerably as he gasped variations of 'ooh's' and 'wow's' over the sites. By the time they finally parked the motorcycle in a public garage, Keith all but dragged Shiro back to the street level, eager to experience everything.

"I had a feeling you'd like it here," Shiro said with a smile. "For me, it's like a piece of home."

"You were born in Japan?"

"Yes. I emigrated here for college and ended up staying."

Keith absentmindedly nodded, his attention snagged by the wares on display in the various shop windows they passed. When they got to a store selling tapestries, fabric, and what appeared to be robes, he stopped. Shiro, noticing the other man was no longer walking beside him, turned back.

"Can we go in here?"

"Of course." Shiro opened the door and ushered Keith inside, following behind him. He tried not to hover, but he kept an eye on the other man as he studied all the offerings. When he noticed Keith pause at a bright blue kimono, Shiro stepped in. "That's very pretty"

"It's perfect," Keith murmured, reaching out a hand to gently brush his fingertips over the luxurious fabric, a small smile quirking his lips.

Shiro didn't need to be a mind reader to know why Keith liked this particular piece; it exactly matched the eyes of a certain flyer. Keith's hint of happiness brought a smile to Shiro's own face. Keeping his voice casual, he said, "If you like it, maybe you should get it."

"Yeah?"

"It's amazing quality, too, you can't find that just anywhere."

Keith picked up the kimono, his touch reverent on the delicate fabric. Shiro helped him communicate with the shop owner, who greatly appreciated both Keith's respect for her product and Shiro's fluency in her language. The shop owner not only offered them a discount but also a recommendation on where to stop for lunch. Thanking her, the men headed out and proceeded to stop in several other stores. Keith didn't buy anything else, but he did seem to enjoy browsing.

While they were admiring a row of teapots, Shiro asked, "After this, would you like to see where I work?"

"You work around here?" Keith's eyebrows rose quizzically.

"I do," Shiro grinned.

"What do you do?"

"You'll see."

With a snort, Keith tugged on the other man's arm and pulled him outside. He motioned for the other to lead, ignoring Shiro's chuckles as he walked ahead. A few blocks down, the other man stopped and Keith looked up at the closed shop's sign. Much like the others, it was written in kanji. Shiro refused to answer when he asked what it meant, instead gesturing for Keith to follow him inside as he switched on the lights and then locked the door behind them.

Keith was surprised to find it was a tattoo shop; although, after looking around at the artwork on the walls, he wasn't sure why he was surprised. The décor and designs screamed Shiro, modern twists on traditional Japanese tattoos. One in particular caught Keith's eye - a red lion that seemed to slink on the paper as the light bounced off it at different angles.

"Welcome to 'Kerebosu.' Shop's closed for today, but I can give you the tour. Do you like it?"

He shot his eyes to Shiro, taking in the confident, dimpled smile on the other man's face. "You already know I do. These are incredible, man. Did you sketch all these yourself?"

"I did. I do have two other artists that work for me part-time; they've got portfolios behind the counter that I can show you, if you'd like." At Keith's shrug, the other man asked, "Do you have any tattoos, Keith?"

"No. I'm not opposed to them, it's just not something that's crossed my mind."

"That's cool."

"Do you have any?" Keith blushed, immediately feeling like an idiot at Shiro's laugh. "Of course you do, dumb question. Can you show me?"

"I can't show you all of them." Shiro winked, his grin growing wider as Keith's cheeks got even redder. "But I can show you my sleeve and such. Follow me."

Silently, Keith followed Shiro the back workroom and watched, mouth open, as the other man took off his gloves and stripped out of his long sleeved shirt. He knew before he'd seen Shiro shirtless that his muscles were exquisitely sculpted; what he hadn't expected were the array of colorful tattoos and the prosthetic right arm. As much as he wanted to stare at the arm - it looked more high tech than the few he'd seen in the past - Keith forced his eyes to focus on the tattoos: left sleeve a vibrant floral pattern; the tip of a lion's tail peeking out from just above the waistband of his jeans, teasing at what more lies below; and a few lines of delicate kanji across the ribs on his right side. When Shiro turned around, he saw the full back piece of an oni mask amidst a den of snakes.

"What do you think?"

Keith wasn't a mind reader, but he still picked up on the undercurrent of insecurity in the other man's voice. Was Shiro worried about the tattoos, or the prosthetic? Not bothering to conceal his admiration, he answered, "It's beautiful, Shiro." When the other man spun around to face him, a hesitant smile on his face, Keith added, "Thank you for showing me." He realized why Shiro hid himself with the gloves and long sleeves, and he truly did feel honored that the other man shared this with him.

Shiro pulled back on his shirt and gloves, his smile back to its usual brightness. "In the mood for lunch yet?"

"Sure." Keith followed the other man back to the front room, exiting the store first and looking around while the other man shut off the lights and locked up the shop behind him. The foot traffic had increased from earlier, throngs of people passing by in both directions. A figure across the street caught his eye; standing just as still as Keith was a man in a dark hoodie... _the_ man in the dark hoodie, he realized.

When the hooded figure waved and turned to walk down an alley, Keith didn't even think; he ran, darting between beeping cars, and followed. The hooded figure never once picked up their pace, showing no other reaction either as Keith quickly closed the distance between them. It wasn't until Keith tried to tackle them that the hooded figure stepped out of the way at the last second, planting a hand on the other man's back and harshly shoving him so he face-planted.

"Ow," Keith groaned. He scrambled to his hands and knees and turned, preparing to pounce. To his relief, Shiro had followed him and was now grappling with the hooded figure, knocking the gun away that they'd no doubt drawn to use on Keith while he'd been down. Keith crawled closer to the gun, debating about threatening the hooded figure with it. Now in the daylight, he could tell that was no ordinary firearm. He remembered the muzzle and barrel being wider than most, but what he failed to see last night was the unusual textural quality to its metal. Maybe a custom piece? Glancing up, Keith realized the hooded figure had slipped out of Shiro's grasp just as they kicked him in the face, knocking him onto his back. He watched in a daze as they hopped over him and took off running back to the street; beneath their hood, Keith only caught a glimpse of golden eyes. Shiro, rather than pursuing the hooded figure, rushed to his friend and knelt down to gently prop him into a sitting position.

"Keith, are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Not really, he thought. "Y-yeah." His entire face throbbed, and he could feel blood spilling down his chin. "Did that bastard break my nose?"

"No, but your lower lip is split pretty bad." Shiro titled his head slightly. "Are your pupils always that big? Darn, I shouldn't have moved you. I'm gonna call for an ambulance."

As the other man pulled out his phone and dialed emergency services, Keith blanched as he remembered his shopping bag. It had been in his hand when he left Shiro's shop; had he dropped it during the chase? He tried not to panic as he turned from side to side looking for it. Shiro must've read his mind as, without pausing in his conversation on the phone, reached behind himself and handed the other man the bag. Keith nearly cried when he checked the contents and found the kimono was untouched.

"Thank you," he whispered when Shiro finished his call. 

Shiro attempted to flash him a smile, but it faltered as his eyes turned grim. "Keith, I read his mind. Well, what I could of it. It's like he shut me out when he realized what I was doing." 

"What'd you find out?" 

"He's not entirely human-" 

"And?"

"He's not alone." Shiro leaned over and grabbed the firearm. "The ambulance will be here soon. We can't let anyone see this." 

A buzz began to reverberate in Keith's ears, whether from fear or head trauma he couldn't say. Closing his eyes, he didn't bother to see what Shiro did with the gun. Instead, he clutched the bag to his chest and slouched back, waiting for help to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Hunk, now Shiro. Can no one keep their shirts on? #SorryNotSorry
> 
>  
> 
> Next up: Lance is back, Matt meets Shiro, and more!
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. <3


	18. No More Messing Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are going great... Until they don't. 
> 
> Also, Lance returns.

By the time Keith was cleared to go home, he was eager to get back to Hunk and Shay's house. As he was being examined, all he could think about was the 'Voltron' investigation; he formulated some new theories about what was going on, but he knew he'd need to do some research and consult his notes before presenting anything to the others. When Shiro dropped him off in the driveway, Keith jumped off the motorcycle, tossed the other man his spare helmet with a nod, and hurried inside, not waiting - or caring - to see if Shiro was following or not.

He could hear Hunk and Shay chatting and cooking in the kitchen; the noise they were making probably masked his arrival, he suspected, so he tried to quietly tiptoe up the stairs to avoid alerting them. Just as Keith made it to the top, he nearly fell backward when he spotted Lance leaning in front of the guest bedroom door, arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face. How long had the other man been waiting there? Keith wondered. He knew, even before Lance opened his mouth, that he was screwed.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite nightlight."

"Um, hey Lance."

Lance slowly stepped forward, the few inches of height he had on Keith suddenly looming grander in the dull light of the hallway. "Any reason why you're avoiding Hunk and Shay down there?"

Did he not know? Keith dared to hope, though he knew it was foolish; the other man could no doubt see his injured lower lip. Still, he tried to act nonchalant and he shrugged. "They're busy cooking. I figured I'd sneak in a shower before joining them; it's been a long day, I'm kinda grimy."

"You mean bloody," Lance gestured to the trail of stains down the front of his shirt.

"Lance..."

"I know what happened." At Keith's surprised expression, he continued, "Shiro texted us all while you were being looked at." Lance let out a drawn out sigh. "I can't believe you chased that gun-toting hoodie down an alley. Actually, I can believe it; you just fly into situations without thinking things through."

"Sound more like you, flyboy," Keith grumbled. He squared his shoulders and tightened his hold on the shopping bag, the weight of its contents seeming to get heavier as Keith stared at the other man. Unfortunately, his actions seemed to draw Lance's attention right to the bag In his left hand.

"A souvenir from your date with Shiro?"

"Seriously?! Ugh, just shut up." He tried to shoulder his way past the other man, but Lance grabbed ahold of his wrists and spun him until his back met the wall - gently, much to Keith's relief. Stubbornly, he refused to meet the other man's eyes, keeping his cast downward.

Lance's breath tickled Keith's forehead as the other man leaned forward to whisper, "Babe, look at me."

It was only to get Lance to leave him alone, Keith reasoned, that's why he looked up; it certainly wasn't because of the 'babe.' Yeah right. He shivered at the intensity of Lance's gaze. "W-what?" Keith bit back a moan when the other man placed a quick kiss on his forehead.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you." He began to rub circles with the pad of his thumbs against the delicate skin of Keith's wrists. "Shiro didn't tell me where you were when you got attacked today, otherwise I would've flown to you. So I got here as fast as I could, and I waited. Right outside your door, because I wanted to tell you," Lance smiled, "I'm sorry, I wish I never left you last night."

As much as a small, childish part of Keith wanted to, he couldn't stay annoyed at the other man, not when faced with that sweet smile and those words he'd been dying to hear. Keith's voice was breathy when he admitted, "I missed you. The bag, I, um, I bought you something." When Lance made no move to step back or release his hand, Keith nudged the other man until he could hand him the bag. To his surprise, Lance didn't look inside. The other man simply continued to smile at him.

"Thank you."

"You don't even know what it is yet."

Lance shrugged. "You should go shower and change, lie down until dinner. I can let the others know you're up here and okay."

"Can you come to my room after you tell them?"

"Of course, babe."

When the other man went downstairs, Keith hurried to the guest bedroom and headed straight for the bathroom. He wasn't sure which was better for aches - hot or cold water? - so he adjusted the shower dial to a warm setting. Stripping off his clothes, and lamenting the damage to his favorite shirt, he took a quick look in the mirror above the sink to assess the damage to his face. His lip hurt worse than it looked, but it still looked nasty to Keith. Mindful of his injury, he stepped under the spray of water and let out a content moan. Keith shampooed his hair twice until it rinsed and felt clean, then he turned his attention to scrubbing the grime and blood stains from his body. By the time he shut off the shower and emerged from behind the glass door, his fingertips and pads of his toes were pruned. Grabbing a large fluffy towel, he wiped down his chest, back, and legs before wrapping it snugly around his waist. Keith gently rung out his hair in the sink and then shook it side-to-side, deciding to let it air-dry. A spritz of deodorant later, he reentered the bedroom in search of something to wear. He had just finished pulling on his shorts and tank top when Lance opened the door, the other man shooting him a smile as he shut the door behind him.

"You should probably dry your hair before you lie down."

"Oh." Keith shook his head. "I'm not tired or anything. I want to work on 'Voltron,' and I thought maybe you could help." He could tell the other man wanted to argue with him, but after a moment Lance sat down on the bed and nodded for him to go ahead. Grabbing his tablet from the nightstand, Keith handed it to Lance and said, "I have a couple of things I'd like you to research: the owner of Haggar's bar and," Keith paused, "'Zarkon.'"

Lance frowned at the last one. "Do you think there'd be info on grumpy ol' cat-bat when there wasn't any on 'Voltron'?"

"We won't know until we look. Maybe you should google 'Galra,' too." Keith relayed seeing the gunman's golden eyes and how Shiro said they were neither fully human nor acting alone. "Whoever they are, they could be the ones that brought 'Voltron' to earth or connected to the ones that did. For all we know, maybe their race is actually called 'Galra.'" He didn't wait for Lance's response, turning to face his wall of post-it-notes. "And while you do that, I'll work on this."

Keith added notes for both the gunman and his own supernova episode, then proceeded to review all of the others to determine any other leads worth pursuing. It took a few moments for his eyes to jump from Allura's name to the handle 'LaLaLurYa'; taking the latter post-it-note off the wall, he mumbled, "Allura's the person from that forum post, she must've been referring to Shiro. So that's one question answered." Sadly, that turned out to be the only new connection he could make from his notes. He eventually knelt on the bed behind Lance and watched the other man sort through the search results for the owner of Haggar's.

"These are all repeats from when I looked up Haggar's, reviews of the bar and stuff. Can't you find anything new?"

"I'm looking," Lance grumbled. "Nobody likes a backseat googler, Keith."

Rolling his eyes, Keith backed off and headed back into the bathroom, digging his cellphone out of the back pocket of his dirty jeans. He was pleased to see it hadn't been damaged during his fall. Rejoining Lance on the bed, Keith shot a text to Shiro, asking the whereabouts of the hooded man's gun. Shiro's reply was almost immediate: 'Downstairs.'

Clearing his throat to get Lance's attention, Keith said, "I'm gonna go grab a drink, Would you like me to bring you one?" The other man shot him a doubtful look but shook his head before turning back to the tablet in his hands. Keith got off the bed and, as an afterthought, leaned down to place a soft kiss to the back of Lance's head. Blushing, he rushed downstairs to find Shiro and, more importantly, that firearm.

Entering the kitchen, Keith found Shiro and Pidge huddled over the table while Hunk cut up vegetables at the kitchen island; Shay was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey buddy, you feeling any better?" Keith shot Hunk a smile and nod in response then joined the others at the table, anticipation bubbling in his stomach as he spotted the familiar weapon.

Pidge was holding a clear, liquid-filled cartridge, turning it over in their hand absentmindedly. They smiled at Keith in greeting but didn't pause the motion. "I'm surprised Lance let you out of his sight. Or did you wait until he fell asleep to sneak down here?"

"I'm just grabbing a drink."

"The refrigerator is over _there_."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Is that part of the gun?"

"Yup."

"This is no ordinary gun," Shiro said. "Aside from the unusual exterior, it has six chambers, half of which are empty. The gunman either only loaded three rounds, or he's used them already. We already looked at all three rounds, they're identical."

"Hmm." Keith narrowed his eyes and studied the cartridge in Pidge's hand. "Do we have any way of testing the bullet?"

"You mean aside from shooting Lance in the leg and seeing what it does to him?" Pidge joked. The speedster readjusted their glasses. "I'm going to sneak it into the labs at my college late tonight so I can run some tests. Assuming it's not a volatile explosive or corrosive, I can crack it open and safely get at the liquid inside."

"If you need any help..."

"I'll ask Shay, she's a potions master after all." Pidge looked deep in thought, then added, "Or Matt. He's got steady hands."

"Sweaty hands," Lance faux coughed as he walked into the kitchen. He flashed Keith a knowing smile and sat down in the chair beside him. "This is one fancy shmancy gun, too sophisticated to be human-made."

"You're surprisingly not wrong," Pidge quipped.

Lance picked up the gun, his gaze on it admiring. Keith watched as the other man pointed the weapon at him, making a 'pow' noise. "Just kidding, babe. I'd never shoot you." He turned to Pidgge, a smirk on his face. "But you, on the other hand..." Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Keith watched Lance lift the firearm and point it at the speedster, his finger hovering over the trigger as he made the firing sound effects. Lance's finger must've slipped, because suddenly Pidge cried out in pain and slumped over in their seat, clutching their bony shoulder. Variations of 'OMG I'm so sorry!', 'Pidge are you okay?', and 'WTF Lance?!' echoed as all of the men, Hunk included, rushed to the petite speedster's side. The others watched as their friend abruptly sat upright and broke out in laughter. "Fooled ya, losers!"

"Not cool, Pidge. I thought I killed you!" Lance cried.

"You just took ten years off my life," Hunk groaned.

"That's not funny," Shiro huffed.

Keith, however, had a different reaction. Curiously, he asked, "Hey Pidge, what happened to the cartridge in your hand?"

The speedster's eyes widened as they realized they weren't holding it anymore, and they looked down at the floor around them in case it fell there. Pidge breathed out a sigh of relief as they held up the cartridge. "Got it, and it's still in tact."

Shiro reached over and grabbed it from their hand before turning to Lance and taking the weapon from him, too. "How about we don't play with this stuff until we know how dangerous it is."

"Yes dad," Pidge and Lance droned in unison.

Ignoring them, Shiro pulled a black bag from beneath his seat and place the weapon inside of it. "I'm going to keep this at my place. Pidge, I'll text you my address and you can pick up a cartridge when you're ready to go to the labs." Pidge didn't look happy but they agreed. Shiro turned to everyone else, "If anything happens, you have my number. Otherwise, I'll stop by tomorrow after work."

"You're not staying for dinner?" Hunk asked, pouting as he held up a mixin spoon.

"Allura's getting out of work soon, and I promised to pick her up."

"The invitation still stands, there's plenty of enchiladas for everyone. If you're both up to it, bring her by and join us."

Shiro smiled and thanked him, standing up and hoisting the bag over his shoulder. Keith offered to walk him out, following the other man to the entryway. Shiro paused and turned to Keith. "I'm sorry today didn't work out as I'd hoped."

"Huh?"

"I wanted to cheer you up, and instead you ended up injured."

Keith smiled, assuring the other man, "It was perfect, right up until that point. I had a lot of fun visiting Little Tokyo with you."

Whatever Shiro was about to say in response was cut off when a frantic knock sounded on the front door. He swung it open, eyes widening in shock as he took in the sight. Keith stood on tiptoes to peer over his shoulder, gasping when he saw Pidge's brother Matt on the step, struggling under the weight of another Matt in his arms, the other's shirt soaked in blood. Tears streamed down Matt's eyes as he choked, "Help us." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh sweet baby no, Matt. More to come on him next chapter. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks to everyone for reading this! <3


	19. Matt Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One Matt injured, the other in tears - what the heck happened?

"Pidge's brother..."

"Yeah?"

"He can... There's two of him."

Keith gave Shiro a side glance. "That's his power. I'm surprised you hadn't picked up on that when you've read our minds." The other man shrugged, his eyes never once leaving the uninjured Matt's teary face. Keith turned his attention back to the kitchen table, where the second, unconscious Matt was now laid out while Hunk and Shay checked his wound with their gloves fingers. They'd cut off his blooded shirt, revealing a puncture just above his navel. Keith looked over the injured man, taking note of his pallor and painfully thin frame.

"I think the bullet's still in here, guys," Hunk said as he gently wiped and prodded the hole. "We have to get him to a hospital."

The uninjured Matt, who'd been standing at the other side of the table beside Pidge, stepped forward and insisted, "No hospitals."

"Matt," Shay pleaded, her own voice thick with tears as she passed more sterile wipes to Hunk.

"He's right." Pidge looked pale, but otherwise they showed no signs of upset. "Hospitals report gunshot wounds to the police. We can't risk them finding this bullet; the last thing we need is the cops investigating it and us."

Shiro gestured to the backpack still slung over his shoulder. "That's assuming it's a bullet like the ones from this gun."

"What else would it be? I doubt it's a stray bullet from a random gang drive-by shooting."

"Not to mention, we don't know how Matt's clone will react when he dies. He could melt into a pile of goo - ouch!" Lance shrieked when the speedster punched him in the arm, glaring as he rubbed the affected area.

"Lance," Hunk scolded. "Not helping."

"Actually, he is," Keith stepped in. Met with a variation of confused and annoyed expressions, he explained, "For all we know, the clone Matt's DNA or internal organs could be structured different than ours, and any tests the doctors have to run on him may expose that. Or he might even respond poorly to medication, if take to it at all. He looks like Matt, but he's not really him."

"Or _is_ he?" Pidge suddenly turned to the uninjured Matt. "Are you Matt prime?" When he didn't answer, the speedster looked to Shiro. "Read his mind."

"Don't." Matt growled. His frustration was evident when he told his sibling, "I'm me, Pidge, okay?"

"So you _claim_."

"Guys," Hunk huffed. He gestured to the unconscious man on the table. "He is gonna die if he doesn't get that bullet out and wound closed ASAP."

"Go for it, I trust you," Matt attempted to flash him a smile but it ended up more like a grimace.

"Matt. I'm a vet tech, not a surgeon," Hunk deadpanned. His expression turned serious when he continued, "Even if I knew what I was doing - which I will reiterate: I don't - he could easily die of blood loss or an infection." When the other man stubbornly refused to budge, Hunk relented. "Fine. Shay, can you sterilize some tweezers and get me a needle and thread? The rest of you, can you wait somewhere else? I'll holler if I need more help, I just need to focus, okay?"

"Of course, man," Keith replied. The others seemed to follow willing, but he ended up having to drag Lance by his elbow into the living room. He all but shoved the other man onto the couch, sitting on his lap to keep him from moving. Shiro put a gentle hand on Matt's shoulder and guided the smaller man to the empty armchair, murmuring something to him before settling himself on the floor.

As Pidge plopped down beside Keith and Lance, the speedster sighed. "I don't even have the chutzpah to make fun of you dorks right now."

"Technically, you just did," Lance snorted.

Keith shifted on the other man's lap, ignoring his gasp as he found a comfier position. Stupid bony legs, he thought affectionately. Turning to Matt, he asked, "What happened tonight, man? How did the other, um, you get shot?"

Matt hesitated, taking a shaky breath before answering with a question of his own. "I know I can't hold you to it, but can you guys promise me something? Please p-promise not to hate me after I tell you."

"Of course I won't, stupid," Pidge muttered affectionately.

Keith, Lance, and Shiro nodded their agreement, though the latter also gave Matt a dimpled smile of encouragement. Matt, blushing in response, looked down to his lap before admitting, "I was feeling lazy after a bad day at work. So when I got home, I...I duplicated and directed the clone to cook dinner while I vegged on the couch. I started dozing off, but I jumped when I heard a loud bang and glass shattering. I ran into the kitchen; a window broken, and the other Matt was clutching his stomach and bleeding. I knew I couldn't take him to the hospital, so I helped him to the backseat of my car and booked it here."

"Matt," Pidge sighed.

"I am stupid, so freaking stupid. He took a bullet that was probably meant for me, and if he dies I don't know what I'll do. He's a part of me, isn't he? He comes from me. I'll be losing a piece of myself."

"Why didn't you just, you know," Lance gestured with his hand, "pull him back into you?"

"Dude," Keith scoffed. "Then he'd be injured, too. The clone was unconscious by the time they got here. If Matt had to drive himself, he'd have never made it."

Shiro reached over to pat Matt's knee, his voice soft as he said, "You're not stupid, Matt. No one here thinks any less of you, I promise. After a bad day, of course you wanted to relax. It's not like you knew the clone would get hurt. You said so yourself, you were probably the intended target. Your power saved your life." When Matt met his eyes, Shiro gave his knee a quick squeeze, his big, gloved hand dwarfing it. "Hunk will do the best he can to help him. If anything bad should happen, I, I mean, we're all here for you. You're not alone in this, okay?"

Judging by the making of a small smile on Matt's face, it was obvious to the others that Shiro's kind words were just what the other man needed to hear. Pidge went over to hug their brother, causing Shiro to move back.

"You could've at least texted me on your way here." Pidge's voice was muffled from being buried against their brother's shoulder.

"I forgot it at home."

"Now that _is_ stupid." Pidge pulled out of the embrace and zoomed out the front door, whipping it open and exiting then reentering so quickly that it hadn't shut yet. They now held Matt's phone in one hand, tossing it to their startled sibling. "Here you go." Matt mumbled a 'thanks' and pocketed his phone.

Seeing the phone reminded Keith of Shiro's earlier intent to go pick up his girlfriend from work. He asked the other man, "What time does Allura get out? Should one of us text her?" Shiro frowned in confusion for a moment, then he groaned and face-palmed.

"Yeah, I should let her know I'm running late." Pulling out his own phone from his backpack, Shiro quickly shot off a text.

Lance offered, "If you want to stay, I can fly by and sweep the lovely Allura off her feet." He scowled when both Shiro and Keith simultaneously said 'no.'

Shiro grabbed his backpack and stood up. He apologized to everyone for needing to leave so suddenly, though his eyes were on Matt when he promised, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Catching Matt staring at Shiro's departing figure, Lance stage whispered, "Hate to see him leave but love to watch him go, eh?" The other man blushed and quickly looked away, ignoring Lance's chuckles at his discomfort.

"Who's Allura?"

"Oh right, you haven't been graced by her royal hotness yet - ouch, Keith!" Lance threatened to push Keith off his lap if he didn't stop pinching him. When the other man settled, he turned back to Matt. "She's Shiro's special lady friend."

"Oh."

"You'll love her Matt, everyone does. I hope he brings her with him."

The others seemed oblivious, but Keith caught the sadness in Matt's eyes and tone when he replied, "Y-yeah, me too."

 

* * *

 

 

Shiro hadn't returned by the time Shay emerged from the kitchen an hour and a half later. Instead of her normal cheery demeanor, Shay carried herself as solemnly as an undertaker; it made Keith shiver to think about the comparison. Everyone waited for her to speak, some more patiently than others. Keith, for example, could hardly sit still on Lance's lap and the other man had a death grip on his hips in an attempt to steady him.

"We were able to get the bullet out and sew him up." Shay let out a sob, raising a trembling hand to her lips. "He's alive..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunk's probably gonna have to get a new kitchen table after this, but yay the Matt duplicate is still alive! I'm not a doctor, Hunk's not a doctor, but by the power of fanfic he got the job done.
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> Thank you for reading! Your comments, kudos, and clicks always bring a smile to my face, you guys are the best. <3


	20. The Real Genius

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang discusses how to help Matt's injured clone, Pidge is eager to test that bullet, and Keith and Lance get a few minutes alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Matt Holts were (seriously) harmed in the making of this chapter.

When Shay uttered the words 'he's alive,' the first thought that came to Keith's mind was 'but for how long?' Even if Hunk managed to get all the bullet fragments out of the clone Matt, even if he sutured the wound securely, and even if the tools and wound were sterilized, there was still the definite fear that the injured man could die from blood loss and/or infection. And if he died before anyone got to question him, they would lose out on any information he could provide on the shooter - if he got a clear look at the shooter's face, it could be a huge help to their investiagation. Keith found himself wishing Shiro had returned already, so he could go read the clone's mind before he died.

It wasn't until Lance nudged him hard that Keith realized he'd been voicing his thoughts aloud. Glancing at the others, he felt his cheeks flush with shame. Shay was looking at him as if he'd sprouted horns atop his head, Pidge was glaring at him, and Matt looked nauseous. Before he could mutter an apology, Hunk entered the room and everyone's attention turned to him. The big man was wiping his bare hands with a paper towel, his expression troubled.

"Keith is right," Hunk sighed, "the clone Matt's chances of surviving the night are slim without getting him antibiotics and a blood transfusion. The bullet I pulled out of him was shattered, so the liquid inside it is now swimming in his bloodstream; since we don't know if that's toxic yet, there's a chance that'll kill him if the infection and blood loss don't."

"If we gave him a transfusion, would that help at all with the contaminant?" Keith asked, hoping he didn't sound too foolish; he had little knowledge of how blood transfusions worked.

"Sadly no. It's already coursing through his system, even with the blood loss. Whatever it is hasn't killed him yet, so that rules out a few known toxins. But if it's an alien substance, there's no way to treat that."

"Can you give him a blood transfusion?" At Hunk's frown, Pidge clarified, "If you had the equipment, could you administer the transfusion?"

"Well yeah, I've assisted with those. But that equipment's not easy to come by, it has to come from a hospital...or my work." He took a shaky breath and said, "I-I'm gonna have to steal from my work, aren't I?"

Shay gasped and grabbed ahold of her boyfriend's arm. "Honey."

"I don't want to - god, I don't _want_ to - but you know as well as I do that it has to be done."

"Then let me do it!" Pidge jumped up, their voice shaky when they said, "I'm so fast the cameras won't pick up on me. I'll go to some hospital and get whatever you need, just give me a list."

Keith didn't like the idea of either of his friends risking themselves to steal; fortunately, neither did Lance. He was relieved when the other man said, "Nobody's robbing anybody. There has to be another way to save clone Matt."

"Like what?" Pidge stared him down, hands on their tiny hips. If the moment wasn't so tense, Keith might've chuckled at how adorable the disgruntled speedster looked.

Lance, obviously not finding them adorable, fumbled for how to respond. After a few moments of mumbling nonsensically, his face perked. "I got it! We have Matt make another clone, and then the second clone absorb the first one." He looked so proud of himself Keith almost didn't have the heart to shut him down.

 _Almost_.

"I don't think it works that way, Lance. And what would that accomplish? It'd just hurt the second clone, and then they'd both die."

"First off, Matt's power is to duplicate himself - so why wouldn't any additional Matts be able to duplicate themselves? They should be perfect copies of him, right down to the mousy hair and sweaty palms." He ignored Matt's scandalized look and continued, "Following that logic, his power would be included. And second, we've been assuming Matt would be affected if his duplicate is hurt when they merge. But what if that's not the case? Maybe if the hurt clone is absorbed by an unharmed Matt, it'll by default try to match the host and therefore mend itself. That's why I say we test it with a second clone, in case it doesn't work."

The other man's reasoning was a bit of stretch but, Keith reasoned, nothing about this situation was normal. They were given powers by an arcade machine, Keith himself becoming a human supernova. If he could burn up as horrifically as Lance had described, explode until there was nothing left but little lights, and somehow manage to come out of it unscathed (albeit nude), then maybe Matt did have the ability to help his clone. The man in question seemed to come to the same conclusion, as Matt stood up and wiped his tears away on the back of his forearm. "Okay, let's do it." Pidge and Shay looked doubtful, but Hunk gave a solemn nod.

Watching Matt duplicate this time around was just as fascinating as the last. Keith stared as the thin man's body began to vibrate, the tremors growing more violent, until another Matt pulled apart from the original. The second clone waved to everyone, a sad smile on his face; did he know the risk he was about to take? Of course, Keith realized. The clone should possess the same knowledge Matt did prior to his creation.

"Are you ready?" Matt asked his new clone.

It was only slightly disturbing to see Matt talking to his literal self, the clone's voice an exact match as he replied, "Not really, but I'm still doing it." The clone turned to Hunk. "Is the first one still unconscious?"

Hunk, who'd been gaping at the pair, shook himself from the stupor and said, "Y-yeah. Is that okay? Will you still be able to do your, uh, thing?"

The clone shrugged and pushed past him to enter the kitchen. Keith scurried to catch up, the others following behind, all eager to watch what would happen. The second Matt clone moved to the side of the table and stared down at his injured counterpart, seeming to need a moment to brace himself before he slid his hands under the other's shoulders and hoist him into a sitting position. It took what felt like a long time for the injured clone to respond, eventually leaning to embrace the second clone. Keith couldn't contain his gasp as they slowly melded; now, he mused, they just had to see if the now singular clone showed signs of injury. The clone staggered backward, nearly falling over before bracing himself against a counter. He was breathing heavy and his eyes were shut, but after several minutes the clone appeared otherwise alright.

Matt was the first to speak. "Are you okay?"

"Other than feeling like I ate a rancid burrito," the Matt clone said dryly, opening his eyes, "it's not so bad."

"More like a rancid Matt-pie - ouch, Pidge?!!" Lance ducked behind Keith, glaring at the speedster and rubbing the spot where Pidge had punched him. "You keep hitting the same spot, I'm gonna be bruised!"

Pidge snorted, waving him off. "Your boyfriend can kiss and make it better later." They turned to Matt, expression turning serious. "How long should we wait before you and Matt 2.0 merge?"

"Do I really need to?"

"Oh my god, yes!" Hunk yelled, shocked by Matt's casual attitude. He lowered his volume but his tone was no less exasperated when he said, "What if that indigestion turns into a matching bullet wound? Or if he drops dead from the bullet's toxin? We need to wait and see if his condition changes."

"But for how long? You can't expect both of us to run around forever; the longer we're apart, the more chance we'll be discovered."

Keith stepped in, dreading what he knew he had to point out. "You most certainly will be discovered, Matt. The shooter's gonna know something's up as soon as he realizes you're still alive and unharmed."

"Assuming he stays alive and unharmed after absorbing the clone," Lance mumbled.

Ignoring him, Keith asked Pidge, "Do you think you can still sneak into your school's labs tonight? If we can find out what's in those bullets, we can determine if it's safe for Matt."

"Yeah, I guess. I'll need to get one of the bullets from Shiro, since he confiscated them." The speedster paused, seemingly lost in thought. "If only we'd had the foresight to draw a sample from the injured clone, we could've used a microscope to see what affects, if any, it has on blood. Maybe if Hunk kept anything with his blood on or in it..."

"No, I didn't," Hunk huffed. "I tossed it out. Now all that's left for me is to bleach my entire kitchen top to bottom and buy a new table."

"Can I get a sample of the your blood, Matt 2.0?" They asked the clone. "I can check to see if your blood is tainted by whatever liquid the bullet contains." The clone nodded, holding out his arm to the speedster. Pidge murmured to Hunk, "I'll buy you a new one," before rushing around the kitchen, smashing a glass, sterilizing a shard, and poking the clone in the middle finger with it. The Matt clone yelped but otherwise remained still as Pidge sped to grab a plastic sandwich bag to hold the bloodied shard. Hunk sighed and fetched a broom to sweep up the glass.

Keith pulled out his phone, shooting a text to Shiro asking where he was and if it's okay for them to stop by for the bullet. "I'll wait for the go-ahead from Shiro, and then we can pick up the bullet and head to your school."

"We?" Pidge scoffed. "I'll work faster alone, and there's less risk of getting caught if it's just me. You can stay here, play the waiting game with everyone else."

As much as Keith wanted to argue - and he did, because he really wanted to know what liquid the bullet contained - he kept his mouth shut because both of Pidge's points were valid. Frowning, he checked his phone for new messages but found none. Keith startled, as did everyone else, when the front door opened and shut.

Shiro walked in, his signature dimpled smile in full effect when he said, "Hey guys, sorry I took so long. Keith, I figured it was silly to text you from the driveway. What'd I miss?" He craned his neck to look further into the kitchen and, upon spotting the Matt clone, he gaped. "He looks amazing! How'd that happen?"

Matt, blushing (over the compliment? Keith wondered), replied, "He's not the same clone. I made another one, and he was able to merge with the hurt one." A quick glance back and Keith was amused to see the clone's cheeks were pink, too.

"That's awesome. Who's brilliant idea was that?"

"Lance's, if you can believe it." Pidge stuck their tongue out at Lance's indignant 'hey!'

"You're a genius, Lance." Keith tried to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt when he saw Lance preen over the praise. An oblivious Shiro pulled out a bullet from his backpack and handed it to Pidge. "Just be careful.

"Yes dad," they snorted. Pocketing the bullet, they saluted their friends then bolted out of the front door, a gust of air following in their wake.

"I have to wait to merge with this clone," Matt explained to Shiro, inching closer to the other man. "There's still a possible risk, so yeah. Once Pidge gives me the 'okay,' we'll do it."

Lance turned to Keith, a playful glint in his eyes as he leaned down to stage whisper, "As much as I'd love to witness more of Matt's awkward crush, to kill some wait time, how about I take you on a romantic flight around the neighborhood?" Keith wasn't feeling up to a flight and, regretfully, told the other man as much. He did, however, suggest they hang out in the guest bedroom, rolling his eyes at Lance's leer and fingerguns. Not turning to see if the other man followed, Keith left the room.

As he headed up the stairs, the sound of Lance's footsteps echoed his own, the other man so close behind that Keith could feel the heat of his body. When they reached the bedroom, he bit back a squeal as Lance shut the door and crowded him back against the bed. "Baby," Lance whispered, his breath tickling Keith's sensitive ear, "you don't know how crazy you were driving me before, squirming on my lap like that. If it had been any other time, I would've kissed you breathless."

Keith grinned. "I had some idea. And if it had been any other time, I would've let you."

"Can I now?" Lance wearily eyed the other man's mouth, and Keith suddenly remembered his injury. Was it okay to kiss? He wondered, cursing himself for not thinking to ask the EMT that patched him up earlier. Screw it, he thought, leaning up and rubbing his lips against Lance's, letting out a sigh of content at the pleasant contact. When Lance deepened the kiss, he felt a twinge of pain, not enough to make him want to stop. If anything, the added sensation was welcome as Keith moaned and pressed his tongue into the other man's open mouth. They kissed until Keith's lips felt numb, and then they kissed some more, because neither could get enough of the other's taste.

Both men were so distracted that they didn't notice the knock at the door nor the sound of said door opening. It was the sound of Shay clearing her throat loudly that forced the two men to jump apart. "Um, if you guys are done, we may need your help with a little situation downstairs."

"What happened? Did Pidge find anything? Are Matt and his clone okay?" Keith asked, his stomach tightening with fear.

"Pidge isn't back yet. And the Matts aren't hurt or anything." Shay's face conveyed her bemusement when she said, "But, um, there's _four_ of them now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever kissed someone after you split your lip? *raises hand* It's not as fun as Keith makes it out to be, but I've always suspected he might be a teeny bit of a masochist. 
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> Next up: Pidge reports their findings on the bullet, someone loses control of their power, and the boys get ready for a roadtrip 
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> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading! <3


	21. Power Trips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt gets ahold of himself. The gang learns more about the bullet. Keith and Lance revisit their plan to visit Haggar's bar.

Four Matts, Keith thought bitterly. That's what Shay told them before she headed back downstairs, and that's what he'd prepared himself to see. It took him a bit to wrap his head around the idea, and peel himself away from Lance's resumed kisses, but eventually he felt ready. So when he finally made his way to the living room - half-listening to a joking Lance behind him - it was quite a shock to find not four but four _teen_ Matts. He may've yelled, he may've even gasped; Keith felt as if his brain short-circuited as he took in the various Matts. Who he could only assume was Matt prime was sitting on the sofa beside Shiro, shifting closer to the other man in an attempt to get out of harm's way as two of his clones wrestled on the floor. Another clone was draped over the headrest behind Shiro, staring admiringly at the back of his head. Three clones were dancing, or possibly convulsing, around Shay, who was seated in the armchair. Rather than discouraging the behavior, Shay giggled and cheered them on, leading Keith to believe she'd instigated it. Two other clones were engaged in a heated discussion over Cantor's aleph numbers. One clone was lounging on the floor while another fed him M &Ms. As for the remaining three clones, they appeared to be helping Hunk deep clean the kitchen.

Lance, on the other hand, reacted differently to the multiple Matts; he burst out laughing, holding his sides and bending over as his eyes watered. The real Matt shot him a disgruntled look, but his attention soon averted to the clone ogling Shiro, slapping his hand away when he reached out to touch the other man's hair. That action, unfortunately, amused Lance further.

When Keith was able to form words, he didn't care how his tone sounded when he spat, "What the heck is going on?!"

Shiro, who'd just seemed to notice the clone creeping on him, bolted off the couch and stepped closer to Keith. "Shortly after you guys went upstairs, the clone sprouted a duplicate, then a few minutes later that one followed suit, and so on, until we got to this. They seem to have calmed down," Shiro snorted at Keith's incredulous look, "well, calmed down in _that_ regard. It's been about two minutes since the last clone was created."

"And why aren't they melding back together yet?"

It was Matt that answered him. "We all agreed I should wait five minutes. If the clones are still stable, I'm pulling them back in and then I'm not spawning another duplicate for a long while."

Finally catching his breath, Lance remarked, "It's too bad Pidge isn't here for this. Hey, maybe I should take a picture and send it to them!" When Lance reached for his phone, Keith snatched it out of his hands.

"Don't you dare. Pidge doesn't need the distraction; we have to know what was in that bullet." He gestured around the room. "Whether this was an intended result or not, it happened. For all we know, we could all have just as bad of reactions if ever shot or injected with that substance."

"Like what? I'd fly more?"

"Or go so high you'd die of oxygen deprivation."

"Pfft, I'd stop myself before that happened."

"But what if you can't stop? It's a very real possibility, Lance." Keith's eyes pleaded with the other man to start taking things seriously. Whether it worked or not had yet to be seen, though Lance quieted. Keith didn't feel like speaking again as the implications of his own words sunk in. What could this substance do to him? Cause an even bigger explosion, one that he wouldn't be able to recover from? Maybe the world wouldn't be able to recover from it either; could he become the next 'Big Bang'?

Thankfully, Shiro shook him from those thoughts. "Don't," he said softly, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Now that we know of this threat, we're gonna work as a team to overcome it. We'll protect eachother, okay?"

Keith nodded, but he still wasn't convinced.

 

* * *

 

 

Watching Matt gather his clones and merge cheered Keith up considerably, especially since a couple of the clones tried to resist Matt and made the man actually chase them around the house. The clone that'd been ogling Shiro put up the biggest fight, squirming out of everyone's hold that tried to stop him and even making a break for the backyard; if he hadn't tripped over his own feet halfway to the backdoor, Keith mused he might've made it. Once that final clone was pulled back into Matt, the slim man plopped down on the now unoccupied sofa and grumbled about being hungry.

"Nobody did get to have dinner, did they? What I was making earlier had to be trashed," Hunk looked sad to admit. "Maybe we should order Chinese? Split some appetizers with a few types of rice? Pidge should be back soon, and they're always hungry."

Keith and Shiro weren't picky and said as much, but Lance, of course, had to whine, "So long as it's not from Panda Pagoda, that place always skimps on the duck sauce!"

Hunk was clearly destined for sainthood, Keith thought, as the other man just smiled kindly at his friend and proceeded to call in an order to a restaurant that was definitely not Panda Pagoda.

The other men decided to sit down and relax while they waited. Shay, who'd been sitting on the armchair, got up and went into the kitchen to make tea, her boyfriend following behind. Lance sat on the floor and pulled Keith down with him, maneuvering the other man on his lap. Instead of joining the others on the floor or taking up the now vacant chair, Shiro joined Matt on the couch, picking up the smaller man's feet and then placing them on his lap after he sat down. Matt blushed but otherwise didn't react; if anything, he made it a point not to move a single muscle in response to the proximity of the other man. Did Shiro know what he was doing to Matt? Keith wondered. He was a mind reader, he had to. Did that mean...? Deciding not to go there, he asked Matt, "When you absorb your clones, do you gain their memories?"

"I do. You, uh, want to know about the shooter, yes?" At the other man's nod, Matt replied, "It was too dark for my clone to see much. The gunman was really tall and wearing a dark hooded jacket; my clone couldn't see his face. He does remember the gunman being a fast runner, from how he took off after my clone was hit."

That was a lot less useful than Keith hoped for, but it was what he sorta expected so he merely thanked Matt for his help. One more thing he could cross off his mental checklist, Keith mused. Turning to Lance, he wondered if he should try to knock another off the list; they did have some unfinished business to discuss, after all.

"Can we go to Haggar's this weekend?"

"Quiznak. Last night we'd talked about doing that today, hadn't we? Then all the craziness happened... Ugh, I'm sorry babe. Yeah, we can go whenever you want."

Shiro cleared his throat, interest evident in his voice as he asked, "You're going there to ask about 'Voltron'?"

"And about an employee's death that occurred a month before they gave the machine to Rolo," Keith replied. "There were suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, so he could be connected to all this."

"Oh, that's definitely worth looking into. But it'll be dangerous, especially in light of what happened today. You'll need to be discrete."

"Exactly. That's why," Keith glanced at Lance, "we were thinking of asking you to join us. That way we might not actually have to talk to anybody; you'd be able to read their minds and find the answers." Lance looked like he swallowed a lemon but said nothing. Shiro, on the other hand, grinned as he accepted the invite and informed them he was free all weekend. Keith was glad the other man could join them; he'd do just about anything to avoid endangering Lance (further than he already was). The three men settled on departing Friday night and returning Sunday afternoon, Shiro volunteering to handle their travel and accommodations arrangements.

Matt, who'd silently watched their exchange, pulled out his phone to check the time. "Pidge should've been back by now," he muttered, not caring if the others were listening. After typing a message to his sibling, he dropped his phone onto the cushion and shut his eyes. The man hadn't been resting for more than five or ten minutes before his phone buzzed with a new message. "Okay, they're on their way."

The speedster rushed in a few seconds later, bumping into a wall and putting a Pidge-sized dent in it. Keith and the other men looked on with concern as Pidge's hands and arms continued to vibrate even though their forward motion had stopped.

"Pidge?" Matt jumped off the couch and approached his sibling. When they bounced back and nearly crashed into the staircase, he took a step back. "What's going on?"

Pidge's voice vibrated and echoed, an octave deeper when they said, "I tested the bullet. The liquid inside it isn't anything I could recognize, I don't think it's an Earth compound. But I know what it does - it enhances our powers. Matt, your cells were multiplying so fast!" The speedster grimaced, their lips quivering uncontrollably for a moment before stabilizing. Unfortunately, their voice remained distorted as they continued, "And I have a couple of theories on why they're using it. They may want to expose us, or they're trying to determine the extent of what 'Voltron' did to each of us."

"Don't tell me you drank that stuff," Lance scoffed.

The speedster waved their middle finger at him, but then panicked when they couldn't get their finger to stop vibrating right away. Matt watched, chewing on his lower lip, clearly torn because he wanted to help his sibling but didn't know how.

Keith, in an attempt to help, assured Pidge, "With your high metabolism, it should wear off soon. Matt's clones stopped multiplying after a half hour or so; you'll probably take less than half that time."

"Clones?" The speedster's right eyelid was twitching erratically, unnerving their friends and brother.

Matt shot Keith a 'gee thanks' look. Before he could explain, Lance spoke up. "His clone made a clone, who made a clone, and so on, until there were a total of thirteen Matt clones running around. And they were doing some hilarious stuff, Pidge! I wanted to text you all about it, but he," he gestured to Keith, "wouldn't let me."

Why couldn't he have the power of invisibility or flight? Keith mused. Pidge glared at him, their entire body coiled with pent-up energy and annoyance. He briefly wondered if he could outrun them while they were in such a glitzy state, should they try to lash out at him. Fortunately, he was saved, from their wrath, by Hunk. When the other man stepped into the room and announced he was leaving to pick up their food, Keith declared he'd come along, hurrying out the door before the speedster could stop him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, this was probably one of my favorite to write. Thank you for reading! <3


	22. All You Need Is Lance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance bond. Lance gets his game on.

Keith didn't often remember his dreams - his nightmares, on the other hand, lingered long after he woke. In the early morning hours, he flailed violently awake, bolting upright and gasping, beads of sweat rolling uncomfortably from his hairline down his neck to pool in the dips of his collarbone. Not in the mood to grope blindly in the dark, Keith tapped into his power and lit up his skin just enough to cast a hazy glow as he searched for his phone. Once he had it in hand, he willed his light away and checked the time: 3AM. Groaning, Keith fell back against the pillows and kicked the sheet off his body. Sleep, he knew, wouldn't come easily; the vivid images of the nightmare emblazoned in his mind and replaying like an old film reel. _Shiro a prisoner of his own mind strapped to a machine. Allura asphyxiated by a cloud of her own smoke. A bloodied Matt corpse surrounded by the mutilated remains of his clones. Hunk in bear form hunted and shot down in the wild. Pidge's terrified face just before they zoom so fast that they propel into the future, lost forever to their friends. The sickening thud as Lance crashed into the ground below. And the final caveat, Keith himself going full-blown supernova, explosion burning up the entire planet._ All of his fears, he thought, all possible because of the bullets those hooded gunmen possessed.

Sighing, he picked up his phone again. Would Lance still be awake? After dinner, the other man left before Keith could invite him to sleep over, claiming he wanted to snap some photos for a new client. Ignoring the voice in his head that insisted Lance would either be sleeping or too busy to talk, Keith dialed the other man's number. It rang twice before Lance answered with a yawn, "'ello?"

Now that he had Lance on the phone, Keith didn't know what to say. The other man seemed to catch on, as his voice sounded clearer when he asked, "Keith? Is everything okay?"

No, he wanted to scream; instead, he said, "Uh h-hey."

"Babe," Lance purred, causing goosebumps to break across the other man's arms. "Are you having trouble sleeping?" When Keith didn't answer, he simply said, "I'm coming over" before hanging up.

Setting down his own phone, Keith wondered if he should feel guilty for rousing the other man from bed. Truth was, he didn't - he needed Lance. Fifteen minutes later, the sounds of Lance opening the front door, shutting it behind him, treading up the stairs to the guest bedroom, and turning the doorknob slowly calmed Keith's racing pulse. He let out a little noise of pleasure when the other man entered the room and joined him on the bed. Lance pulled Keith into his arms, brushing a kiss against the top of his head.

"Bad dream?" Lance asked as he stroked Keith's back. At the other man's nod, he said, "It's okay, I was having one earlier, too."

"W-what about?" Keith silently prayed the other man didn't have one as horrific as his own.

"I went to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but was out of bread. It was _awful_."

Rolling his eyes, he snuggled against the other man's chest, letting the warmth of the other man wash over him as his eyes fluttered shut.

 

* * *

 

The nightmare still haunted a corner of Keith's mind, but when he woke up for the second time, he felt better equipped to handle - a.k.a. avoid - it. A more pressing issue developed as he tried to slide out from under the human blanket draped over him. Lance ran warm, and his close proximity only made the other man sweat more throughout their slumber; Keith desperately needed to cool down and shower. After some manuevering, he was able to free himself and headed into the bathroom. Pulling out the necessary toiletries and towels from the sink cabinet, Keith set about cleaning up. A quick, cool shower and shave later, he felt remarkably better as he brushed his teeth. The only thing he lamented was not bringing in a change of boxers; loathe to put the damp ones back on, Keith opted to wrap one of the bigger towels snugly around his waist and re-entered the bathroom.

Lance was wide awake but remained lying down, his eyes following Keith as the other man grabbed a clean pair of boxers from his backpack and slid them on under his towel. Keith shot a look back at Lance and flushed at the heated look on the other's face.

"Babe, you're beautiful."

"T-thanks." Keith grabbed a tshirt and pulled it on, ignoring Lance's whimper of protest. "You sleep well?"

"Yes." Lance smirked. "You make a nice pillow; you should come back in bed so I can cuddle you some more."

Chuckling, the other man put on a pair of black skinny jeans. "I think you should go freshen up and then join me for breakfast."

Lance stretched his arms and legs, his tank top bunching up and exposing the delicate trail of hair leading from the waistband of his pajama pants up to his navel. Catching Keith's admiring gaze, he winked. "You sure you don't wanna come back to bed?"

Tearing his eyes away from the tempting sight, Keith cleared his throat and rushed out of the room, the other man's giggles bringing a smile to his face as he headed downstairs. Shay and Hunk weren't around, but the still-hot pot of coffee indicated at least one of them was up. They're probably at work, he realized as he poured himself a cup. Debating about what to do for breakfast, he settled on leftover Chinese and pulled a container of pork fried rice from the refrigerator. Keith was shoveling a forkful of rice into his mouth and nearly choked when Lance entered the kitchen.

"That's hardly a healthy way to start the day, babe."

"Are those my pants?!" Lance glanced down and rubbed a hand over the red jeans in question.

"Yup. They're a little short in the leg and a little tight in the tushy." _Oh yes they are_ , Keith thought as the other man spun to the side, arching his back and perfectly showcasing his derrière. "But I think they look pretty good on me. You should let me keep them."

Shaking his head - and the inappropriate thoughts from his mind - Keith scoffed. "I don't own enough clothes to be giving any away, Lance."

Brushing past Keith to grab a cup of coffee, he replied, "We can fix that - how about we go shopping?"

"I hate shopping."

"Come on, there's a Hot Topic in town. Right up your emo alley." Lance ignored Keith's glare and added, "And after that, we can go to Javier's." He smiled. "I did promise to wreck your high score, remember?"

Snorting, Keith muttered, "You're welcome to try," before gulping down the rest of his coffee.

 

* * *

 

He'd take another nightmare over clothes shopping with Lance any day, Keith decided as they landed in the parking lot behind Javier's. Nightmares could eventually be escaped, he mused - Lance, and his incessant chatter, could not. The man had not been joking, having dragged a reluctant Keith into Hot Topic and shoved piece after piece into his arms, until Keith could no longer see around the mountain of clothing. And Lance didn't let him just buy the clothes, either; he insisted Keith try on and model every piece for him, 'oohing' and 'aahing' as he gestured for the other man to twirl. Keith gestured that Lance go screw himself and refused to try on anything more. In the end, he purchased 5 tshirts, 4 pairs of jeans, and a pair of fingerless leather gloves. Still, his acquisitions did little to assuage his annoyance with Lance, who continued to blather on as they dropped the bags off at Hunk's house and then continued to the bar. Keith pulled out of the other man's arms as soon as their feet touched the ground, quickly stalking off into Javier's.

Seeing Rolo playing bartender did nothing to temper his annoyance, especially when the blonde flashed a flirty grin at Lance. Taking ahold of Lance's hand, he led the other man past the bar to the arcade machines.

"Well? Are you going to beat my score or what?"

"Eager to go down?" Lance joked.

Interesting choice of words, Keith mused. Smirking, he leaned forward to whisper, "You wish." It took Lance a moment to catch on, but the answering blush on his cheeks was worth the wait. Keith's smile grew wider as he inserted a quarter into 'Voltron' and nudged the other man forward. "Go to it, big boy."

Licking his lips, Lance forced his eyes to focus on the game in front of him and grabbed ahold of the controls. When the title screen cleared and the character selection loaded, he selected the blue paladin. Keith hadn't asked, but Lance still explained, "He's my fave. Sharpshooter, fighter pilot, and ladies' man... So cool." Though he highly doubted the last bit, Keith nodded as he waited for the next screen to load. Lance was directed to guide his paladin's lion through an asteroid field while evading detection from the Galra cruises scattered throughout the area. When Lance completed the challenge, he turned to Keith and, noticing the other man's surprise, teased, "Told ya, babe. I'm the Tailor."

The missions grew more difficult as the game progressed, the blue paladin having to do everything from blast down a fleet of Galra warships with his lion's ice cannon to liberate mermaids from a scaly tentacle monster. At the end of the latter mission, a dialogue box between the blue paladin and a mermaid revealed a flirty exchange. Okay, so maybe wasn't lying about the ladies' man bit, either, Keith conceded. The next loading screen glitched, flashing blue, then depicted a closeup of Zarkon. Lance mumbled, "this is new," as he waited for Zarkon to speak. The Galra leader was taking his time, his eyes seeming to bore through the screen as if to study the player. When he finally did speak, Zarkon sounded amused (or as amused as a grumpy cat-bat could): ' _You think you can win, but you are weak, Paladin. You cannot defeat me, nor can your consort. Accept my rule, both of you, and I will be merciful, I will kill you both quickly._ ' The next dialogue box prompted: ' _Will you bow to Emperor Zarkon? Y(Green Button) or N(Red Button)?_ '

"Not today, lord grump," Lance snickered, tapping the red button. His eyes widened when the next screen depicted another closeup of Zarkon, this time the villain seated on his throne. The Galra's voice was stilled amused when he said: ' _You reject my generous offer, Paladin? So be it. You have chosen to die, and I will accommodate. You are truly a pathetic creature, unworthy of Voltron._ ' After the screen flashed blue again, it signaled the end of the game and loaded the high scores.

To Keith's delight and Lance's frustration, after all that, Lance hadn't made the top five.

"That's it!" Lance pouted, fishing out a roll of quarters from his jacket pocket. Keith groaned as the other man tore it open and shoved one quarter into the machine. "I've got all these quarters and all afternoon, babe. I'm gonna annihilate you - and ol' cat-bat, too!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: The boys go to Haggar's in search of answers, powers get tested, and more...
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	23. Baby, I'm Ready To Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith brings up some important questions about 'Voltron.' The boys meet up at the airport and get ready to head to Haggar's bar.

Instead of going to bed at a decent hour that night, Keith chose to stay up late theorizing. Sure, he was scheduled to fly out to Boston tomorrow with Lance and Shiro but, Keith reasoned, the flight wasn't until the evening so he didn't have to be up particularly early. And if he needed to, he could sleep on the plane and, if that wasn't enough, sleep in the car as they drove a rental up to Haggar's bar in Maine. The revelations from the past two days weighed so heavily on his mind that he wouldn't be able to sleep even if he tried.

Staring at the 'Conspiracy Wall,' as Lance affectionately referred to it, Keith examined his notations on his friends as well as those on 'Voltron.' Recalling their earlier conversations, he knew Lance hadn't seen a Zarkon dialogue or battle screen before Keith first played 'Voltron' - so, given that the other man admitted to playing the game several times in the past and witnessing Hunk and Pidge's initial gameplays, the Zarkon screens were rare. What triggered them? He wondered. Why were some people worthy of powers but not seeing Zarkon? Was that important? Shiro had admitted to battling Zarkon one-on-one during his first time, and the group witnessed Allura's paladin exchanging dialogue with the villain. Today was the only time Lance got any Zarkon screens, and it'd only happened during the first out of the twenty times he ended up playing the game in his quest to decimate Keith's score (which he didn't). Keith eventually had to literally pry the other man's hands off the controls and drag him away from the machine. Curious, Keith did take a turn on 'Voltron' after to see if Zarkon would appear but, much to his disappointment, he got no such screen. How the villain tied into the game and, if at all, the granting of powers was a frustrating mystery, and one Keith felt no closer to solving.

Perhaps, he thought, the trip to Haggar's would help in that regard. Their goals in going there were to learn what the owner knew about the machine, why the owner was so keen to get rid of it, and how/if former employee Thace's death was connected to 'Voltron.' If they happened to find out more about the game's mechanics too, all the better. Shiro's power would be invaluable, as they could learn most, or maybe even all, of those answers without arousing suspicions of the staff and patrons. There could be hooded gunmen in that area, too, and the last thing Keith wanted was to attract their attention.

Grabbing his tablet, Keith took pictures of his notes, should he need to reference them on the trip. He was packing light - well, lighter that he had before - and only bringing his tablet, phone, fingerless gloves, and red leather jacket. (The latter two were in case the weather proved chillier than that of sunny California.) After checking his email, and deleting the usual spam, Keith put his tablet aside and reached for his phone. There were two new messages; the first was from Lance and: ' _if you need me to chase away the nightmares let me know babe ;)_ '

Keith snorted at that and wrote back: ' _More like snore away. But thanks, I will_.'

The second message was from Shiro, a reminder that he'd meet with them at the airport at 4pm. Keith responded back with an affirmative and tossed his phone back on the bed. After a moment's hesitation, he propped pillows against the headboard and sat down on the bed, getting comfortable and studying the wall of notes again. As time passed and his eyes grew tired, Keith's gaze swept over the note on Lance, a small smile gracing his lips at the sight of the other man's name.

 

* * *

 

"Babe!"

Nothing.

"Keithy baby!"

Nothing.

"KEITH GET THE QUIZNAK UP!" Lance's final shriek did the trick, jolting the other man from his sleep.

"It's too early, go away!" Keith growled, his features pinched tight in annoyance. He resented how rested and good - darn, really good - Lance looked. The other man's hair was stylishly messed, just enough to accentuate its touchable softness. No bags or discoloration detracted from his bright blue eyes, which were crinkled merrily even in the face of Keith's glare. Lance's outfit consisted of a tight white tshirt and fitted jeans, accentuating his lean and tan physique.

"Babe, it's 2:30 in the afternoon." Keith's eyes widened in surprise as Lance continued, "Seriously, we gotta leave soon or else we'll be late. I figured you'd want to take a shower and eat before we go."

Mumbling an agreement, Keith tossed the sheet aside and staggered out of bed, bumping into the doorframe on his way into the bathroom. Cursing, he stripped out of his boxers and quickly washed up, opting for a cold shower to rinse away the remainder sleep from his mind and body. Teeth brushed and wet hair pulled into a haphazard ponytail, Keith wrapped himself in a towel and returned to the bedroom. Lance was gone, so he tossed the towel aside unabashedly and let the air dry his skin for a few moments before pulling on clean boxers. He hurriedly dumped the contents from his backpack onto the floor and refilled the bag with his tablet, phone, and jacket. Weighing the pros and cons of dressing to compete with Lance versus dressing for comfort, Keith compromised with a new pair of black skinny jeans, his favorite grey tshirt, and the fingerless black gloves. Boots on and backpack slung over his shoulder, he headed downstairs in search of Lance...and coffee.

The other man was waiting for him, a cup already poured and cream-cheese slathered bagel ready to devour. Shooting Lance a grateful look, Keith ate and drank as fast as possible without incurring indigestion. Once finished, he all but shoved a protesting Lance out the door.

"Now you're in a hurry," Lance scoffed. Cutting off any retort from Keith, he yanked the other man into his embrace and propelled them into the sky.

The rush of fresh air felt wonderful on Keith's exposed skin. Sighing contentedly, he allowed his fingers to brush against the fine hairs at Lance's nape. At Lance's strangled noise, he glanced up and chuckled over the blush on the other man's cheeks. It wasn't until he felt Lance shift to descend that Keith realized he'd been lost in thought staring at the other man the entire time. Not wanting to miss out on any more of the scenic view, Keith turned his head and smiled when he spotted the familiar LAX sign and airport. Lance landed in front of the parking garage, ignoring cars passing by and Keith's protests.

"Calm down, mullet. I've told you before - people see but they don't notice. Now come on, Shiro's waiting," Lance said as he wrapped an arm around Keith's shoulder and ushered the still complaining man into the building.

Keith quieted as he took a good look around; LAX was still as bright, big, and intimidating as he remembered from past visits. Pressing closer to Lance, he let the other man lead him to check-in desk for their airline. Shiro was already there, standing off to the side; his polished leather messenger bag looked at odds with the sweatpants, loose tank top, and scuffed sneakers he chose to wear. Despite dressing down, Shiro still looked amazing and drew many eyes from men and women alike that passed by. The man, however, only had eyes for Lance and Keith as he flashed them a dimpled smile.

"Hey Keith, Lance. Hey, where's your bag?" He directed the question to the latter.

"We're only gonna be there for a day and a half total. Why bother going through the hassle of packing and then waiting longer in the security checks, ya know?"

Shiro shrugged. "Technically you'll be waiting just as long as the rest of us, bag or no bag." He turned to Keith. "You look exhausted. Rough night?"

"I had trouble falling asleep and then some jerk rudely woke me up."

"Hey! I tried to be romantic but you wouldn't budge, just kept on drooling. I yelled as a last resort."

What did Shiro say? Patience yields focus? Keith repeated the mantra to himself as Lance blathered on, the other man obvious to the distant, bored quality to Shiro's "oh's" and "huh's" responses to whatever he was currently rambling about. Lance continued on talking, right up and through the security checkpoints, pausing long enough to take the occasional breath and walk through the metal detectors. Keith, meanwhile, was focused on Shiro - specifically, the haunted expression on the other man's face as the guards singled him out and took their time poking and prodding at his prosthetic arm. When all three men finally made it through, they went straight to the final terminal to wait among the other passengers.

"Do they always do that?" Keith asked, gesturing to Shiro's arm.

"Stop me for the arm? Yes. It's okay, they're just doing their jobs." It didn't look okay to Keith, nor did it sound okay to Shiro, who still had a resigned expression.

"They didn't have to be jerks about it."

"It's not personal. They're doing they're jobs." Keith wondered if this was another saying from the therapist Shiro mentioned in the past, acceptance and all that. Bullshit, if you asked him; there were so many ways to do your job without treating someone like a freakshow oddity. Not wanting to upset the other man further, Keith didn't press the topic.

By the time the plane boarded, all three men were over the airport experience, relieved to be seated and closer to leaving. Lance smushed his face up against the window as he animatedly commentated the plane's takeoff; such boisterous speech normally agitated Keith, but now he found himself lulled by the sound of Lance's voice. Shiro remained silent, and at first Keith assumed the other man was tired as well. It wasn't until he spotted the death grip Shiro had on the armrests that he realized the other man was uncomfortable flying. A glance up at Shiro's face and he modified that thought - Shiro wasn't uncomfortable flying...he was _terrified._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to cut this chapter in half because a part of the second half needs rewriting, and I wouldn't have gotten it all done in time to post at my usual time. So that'll be posted next, and it will feature the boys actually visiting Haggar's bar, learning more about 'Voltron', meeting a key player, and using their powers.
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	24. A Long Way To Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith helps a friend out. The boys check into a questionable motel and then head to Haggar's. Surprise, surprise, there's a new lead...

Comforting people wasn't one of Keith's strong suits - neither was being around people for lengthy periods of time - but he knew he had to try for Shiro's sake. The other man was pale, sweating, and breathing shallowly, trembling everywhere but his prosthetic hand, which looked about ready to crush the armrest in its grip. Debating about alerting Lance, who continued to blather on and stare out the window, Keith decided to handle the situation himself.

Shifting in his seat to lean towards Shiro, he kept his voice soft as he asked, "Hey, Shiro?"

It took a few moments for the other man to realize he was being addressed. Eyes darting to Keith, Shiro's voice only slightly shook when he responded, "Y-yeah?"

Hmm, now what? Keith wondered. Should he address Shiro's panic or... "How long have you been dating Allura? I realize I don't know much about you guys. How'd you meet?" Distraction, he thought, might work best on someone as emotionally guarded as Shiro (seemed to be).

To his relief, the other man didn't ignore him or react poorly; if anything, Shiro welcomed the chance at casual conversation. His posture remained rigid, but his breathing normalized as he answered, "I wouldn't call what we do dating, but we've been...involved...for the past 6 months. I've known her for a few years, though, since college. We met in an intro to website design class; I think I would've failed if not for her help, I can't code to save my life."

He was tempted to ask what 'involved' meant specifically, but he filed that away for another time. Small talk could be tricky for Keith but interviewing people was something he excelled at. Using that as a guide, he asked, "Did you guys have the same major?"

"No," Shiro snorted. "That class was an elective for me but part of her core studies. I studied Art & Media, Allura was double-majoring in Information Design & Cyber Security."

"So you do like nerds," Keith teased, unable to resist as he was also reminded of Pidge's brother, another person whom Shiro (maybe?) showed interest in.

Chuckling, Shiro's fingers began to stretch and relax. He turned his head to face the other man. "You're a good person, Keith." At the other's raised eyebrow, he explained, "This, it's helping me focus. I have my own issues with flying, but I also get bombarded by people's thoughts so easily in closed, packed spaces. All their fears and hang ups just add to my own, you know? So thank you."

He'd forgotten that downside to Shiro's ability; it made sense, now that he thought about it. "Helping you was the goal, but I do want to know more about you, too."

"Well we've got a five and a half hour flight ahead of us. Plenty of time, don't you think?" Shiro gestured to Lance, who was still blathering on in the background and looking out the window. "Do you think he'll figure out we're not listening?"

A quick glance back at the other man, and Keith shrugged. "Eventually."

 

* * *

 

Keith had only been to Boston once a few years ago, to investigate a rumored black magic cult; it turned out to be nothing more than a black-masked orgy, which he absolutely did not stick around to watch. The story may have been a dud, but the city itself was pretty nice from what he remembered. There wouldn't be time on this trip to explore it any, as the boys got a rental car from the airport and hit the highway for Maine. Haggar's bar was located in a town called Limerick, a two-hour drive from Boston.

Shiro, who'd been the one to acquire the rental, drove the entire time, Lance calling dibs on the front seat and leaving Keith to grumble in the back. They only stopped once, for Lance to use the restroom at a gas station. Keith rolled his eyes when Lance came back out to the car wearing a new pink Red Sox baseball cap and slurping a blue slushy, leaning forward to snag the drink out of the other man's hands when he sat back down in the passengers seat. Shiro turned up the radio to drown out their ensuing bickering but otherwise ignored it as he pulled back onto the highway. Lance and Keith argued until Shiro stopped the car for the final time, parking the car in front of a small, shabby motel.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Shiro said, "I booked us here for tonight and tomorrow. Let's freshen up, drop off our stuff, then go to Haggar's. Sound good?"

"Sure." Keith didn't have anything to really drop off - like hell he'd leave anything in this Bates-looking motel - but a quick shower did sound nice after their long flight. Lance nodded in agreement and trailed the other two as they headed inside. The inside lobby's decor left much to be desired: mustard shag carpeting with questionable stains, whitewashed wood paneling that was barely hanging onto the walls, a mahogany counter that'd seen better days, and, to complete the look, a dust-covered plastic cow in the corner. A balding, thin man in an oversized Hawaiian shirt stood behind the counter, flipping through a magazine.

Without looking up, the man asked, "You need a room?"

"I already booked one," Shiro replied, stepping forward to loom over the desk. "A two bed suite, under the name Shirogane."

The motel manager sighed and pushed his magazine aside, finally giving Shiro his attention. He gasped, a little dazed when facing a smiling Shiro; Keith didn't blame the guy. As the manager groped around for the sign-in book and room key, Keith turned to Lance, groaning at the other man's antics. Lance was attempting to climb on top of the plastic cow, grumbling as he struggled to get a good footing.

After Shiro signed the registry book, the manager shoved a room key at him. "H-here you go handsome, I mean mister, mister handsome, erm..." Blushing, the man looked away, his eyes glazing over Keith and Lance. To the latter, he growled, "Ain't you a little old to be humping cows, son? Kaltenecker's not one of them dirty toys."

When Lance opened his mouth to retort, Keith knew he needed to step in before the other man got them kicked out - or arrested. Grabbing him by the ear, Keith pulled Lance away from the plastic cow, ignoring the other man's protests as he led them back outside. Shiro joined them a moment later, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he whistled and motioned for the other two to follow him.

Their room was number three, and...at least it was clean, Keith mused as they entered. It was a small space, crowded by the two full-sized beds separated by an inch at most. No other furniture, just a ceiling light/fan and a door leading off to what was no doubt the bathroom. Lance elbowed past Keith and plopped down on the first bed, sinking into the over-soft mattress. His voice sounded muffled as he said, "This is nice."

Shiro excused himself to use the bathroom, leaving his bag on top of the second bed.

Keith didn't want to be presumptuous but, "I guess we're sharing a bed."

"Technically we're all sharing a bed. Not that I mind, because Shiro is dreamy and I wouldn't mind being in the middle of a Shiro-Keith manwich. But like, why didn't they put two twins in here since the place is tiny? Whoever their interior decorator is needs to be fired, pronto."

"Please don't molest our friend. Wasn't the cow enough?" They both laughed, Lance growing louder as he sunk further into the mattress.

"That dude probably thinks we're in town for a sex convention."

Reentering the room, Shiro said, "Actually, he thinks we're here to film porn." Grinning over the scandalized expressions on their faces, he continued, "He warned me to keep the, and I quote, 'big gay lovin' tame,' because I will be charged for any damage to the furniture."

Keith was the first to recover. "What furniture? The bed's already screwed up." He pointed to Lance. "This is probably one of those murder motels like in the movie 'Vacancy.' We'll be too sucked in the beds to fight back when the night manager storms in with his chainsaw."

"I'd rather be too sucked in you," Lance muttered, blushing when he realized, "Quiznak! I said that aloud didn't I?" He struggled to get out of the bed, hands flailing as he tried, and failed, to gain leverage on the mattress. "Can I get a little help here?" Keith huffed but reached out a hand, grabbing onto the other man's wrist and tugging hard until Lance was freed. "Thanks, babe."

Shiro, who'd been smiling over their exchange, reached a hand back and pulled off his tank top. He chuckled at Lance's whispered 'wow' and next pushed down his sweatpants, revealing a pair of black boxer-briefs.

Lance turned to Keith, stage-whispering, "Are we sure we're not here to film porn?" Jerking back, he narrowly avoided Keith's elbow directed at his midsection.

"I don't care how much of a dive Haggar's is, I'm not going there in sweatpants," Shiro clarified as he dressed in a pair of jeans and a black Henley shirt. Donning his gloves, he looked very much like the first time Keith and Lance met him. "We should probably get going soon, do either of you want to freshen up first?"

Yes, Keith remembered. Springing into action, he hurried into the bathroom and settled for splashing cold water over his face and arms; the shower could wait until they returned. Adjusting his ponytail and tucking a few loose strands of hair behind his ears, he decided that would have to do and returned to the bedroom. Lance claimed he was 'perfect as is' and called shotgun again as they walked back to the car.

Haggar's bar was on the other side of town but, considering how small the town was, it took them little time to get there. Unlike several of the other buildings in the area, the bar's exterior looked newly renovated, from its chip- and fade-free paint to the large, pristine electric signage. Several cars were in the parking lot, but not enough to be of concern; even if there were two people per car, Keith speculated, the bar wouldn't be crowded. Shiro parked in the most lit spot, no doubt as a safety precaution.

The interior looked similar to Javier's, with the exception of the jukebox and dance floor towards the back. Lance eyed the jukebox longingly, but Keith refused to let him float over there and grabbed onto the other man's arm, pulling him towards a table on the opposite side of the room. Shiro followed behind, waiting until they were seated then joining them at the table. To keep Lance occupied, Keith handed him a menu from the centerpiece, taking one for himself; he was starving, not having eaten since the morning bagel.

After several minutes, a short, stout, and scowling man approached the table. Dressed in a black tshirt that read 'Haggar's,' he was obviously a staff member. His voice sounded bored when he said, "Welcome to Haggar's. What'll you boys be having?"

"Hi there. I'll have a Coke and a burger, medium rare," Shiro replied.

"Vodka-tonic and an order of the sweet potato fries." Keith said next.

Everyone turned to Lance, waiting on the other man to speak up. However, he seemed content to bury his head in the menu and ignore the others. Even when the waiter made an impatient noise, Lance didn't respond. Keith was about to speak up when Shiro beat him to it: "He'll have a Tequila Sunrise and an order of chicken wings." Lance squeaked but made no comment. The waiter shrugged and ambled back to the bar to place their orders.

"Sorry, Lance. He was getting impatient, so..."

"I-it's okay, man."

Keith turned to Shiro. "You, um, getting anything else from him? Or anyone else?"

"Patience yields focus." Shiro chuckled at Keith's scowl. "I'm working on it. Let's just act normal, talk and enjoy the food and drinks, then go from there."

Lance leaned forward. "What should we talk about? Ooh, I know! Who wants to spoon me tonight? Tequila always makes me feel vulnerable. Usually Hunk'll wrap me in those big man arms of his, but he's not here so..."

"Or maybe we can sit here quietly." Keith rolled his eyes at Lance's huff of indignation.

"At least I'm acting normal.."

"There's nothing normal about you."

"True, but still-"

"Guys," Shiro hissed. "He's coming back." The others quieted and watched as their waiter returned with a tray, placing their drinks on the table. When he'd left, Shiro sighed. "Has anyone ever told you two that watching you flirt-argue is exhausting?"

"It's probably the jetlag," Keith reasoned, ignoring Shiro's chuckle in response.

Taking a generous gulp of his drink, Lance licked his lips in an attempt to catch any drops. Keith watched him, trying not to squirm each time that pink tongue darted out. The boys sat in relative silence as they drank and waited for their food. After twenty minutes, the waiter reappeared with their orders. The flaccid fries hardly looked appetizing to Keith, but he still shoveled them in his mouth.

Once the waiter left, Lance asked, "But seriously though, who's gonna be my big spoon?"

Keith face-palmed.

 

* * *

 

By the time they left Haggar's, the bar was just closing and Keith and Lance were both tipsy. Following their first round of drinks, Lance challenged Keith to do shots and, of course, the other man refused to back down. Shiro ended up slinging an arm around each of them and steering them to the car, shoving both in the backseat before heading to the driver's seat. Keith tried to elbow Lance to get some space, but that only drew the other man closer as they soon found themselves kissing. It was barely more than a sloppy press of lips, but it still felt wonderful to Keith. When Shiro pulled into the motel's parking lot, he (may have intentionally?) hit the breaks hard, causing the two men to jostle apart.

"Come on," Shiro said as he opened the backdoor and offered a hand to the nearest person, Keith. Pulling out first one and then the other, Shiro managed to get the two inside their room with little issue.

Lance took off his shirt, nearly strangling himself in the process, and launched himself at the second bed; he began to snore once his eyes shut and head touched the pillow. Keith prided himself on being less drunk than that, taking the time to remove his shirt, hair elastic, and shoes, then removing the other man's shoes, before joining him on the bed. He closed his eyes and positioned himself so that he curled around Lance's frame. A smile graced his lips when he felt Shiro's larger form brush up against his back.

 

* * *

 

I'm dying, Keith thought. He wasn't sure how many hours had passed since they left Haggar's, but he felt awful. Hot. Sore. Nauseous. Squashed. Opening his eyes, he recognized the source(s) of at least some of the discomfort. Lance, who he knew ran warm, was plastered to his front, face buried in his neck and puffing hot, damp breaths against his skin. One of Shiro's heavy, muscled legs was draped over his thighs, pinning him to the mattress. Keith wondered if he should try to buck Shiro off, or just wait it out until one or both of the other men woke. A sudden pressing need to vomit, and the decision was made; Keith used all his might to shove Shiro's leg off and Lance away as he (just) managed to make it to the bathroom in time.

Upon returning to the bedroom, Keith was surprised that his movement and/or retching hadn't woken either man. Instead, the two cuddled into the space he'd vacated. Picking up a shirt off the floor - which turned out to be Lance's tshirt - he yanked it on before grabbing his phone. This is for all those times he woke me up, Keith thought with a smirk as he turned up the volume to blare Blue Swede's 'Hooked on a Feeling.'

Lance's reaction was priceless: he screeched and bolted upright, flying into the ceiling with a bang and dropping back down into the mattress. Shiro, unfortunately, was collateral damage, suffering in the rude awakening. Keith laughed so hard he cried, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes and hiccuping in delight. While Lance sputtered, Shiro headed for the bathroom, shooting Keith a tired and annoyed look.

"I had a feeling you'd do that, I'm so glad I recorded it," he wheezed, tapping on his phone.

Lance sneered, "You're screwed, mullet. Now you've got me and Dorito gunning for you."

When Shiro emerged from the bathroom, he was fully dressed and looked only slightly miffed. Lance, on the other hand, was still glaring at Keith even as he tried to tug the other man back into bed. A knock at the door startled everyone; Keith, who was closest to the door, opened it. Expecting to see the manager, he was surprised to see a tall, stylish stranger. Perhaps a neighbor who wanted to complain about the noise? He wondered.

"Don't tell me I missed the wake up - I love Blue Swede!" The redhead smiled, the ends of his mustache twitching as he spoke. Keith couldn't place his accent. "Did you guys already discuss what Shiro found out over pancakes yet? Please don't tell me I missed the pancakes, they're maple bacon!"

"Who the hel-" Keith was cut off by Shiro, who placed a hand on his shoulder and gently nudged him aside.

Shiro's eyebrows rose as he met studied the other man. He was reading the man's mind, Keith realized. "Your name is Coran."

"Indeed it is!"

"And you can..."

"See the future? Yes, I can. I've been waiting for you chaps to show up." Coran rubbed his hands together, an eager look on his face. "So, how about we go get those pancakes?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got home soooooo late from work, so I apologize that this is posted at a little later time than usual. 
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy, thank you for reading! <3


	25. Talk It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys learn more about Coran and make plans.

It was rude to stare. Keith knew that, but it didn't stop him from gawking at Coran across from the table. Everything about the man's appearance screamed 'look at me!' from his vibrant haircolor that glowed under the florsecent lights of the diner to the mustache hipsters could only dream of growing to his tailored velveteen suit paired with a red ascot. Add in the charming - and yet to be determined - accent, and he cut an arresting figure.

The redhead also happened to be a noisy eater, moaning around each forkful of his maple bacon pancakes and chewing with loud, squelching smacks of his lips. There was almost something fascinating, Keith mused, in watching someone consume with such gusto - there was also something gross about it, too. Sparing a brief glance down at his own plate, he pushed the half-eaten stack to the side. Shiro, he noticed, politely kept his eyes on his own food, pausing in eating to take the occasional sip of his orange juice. Lance, however, seemed to take Coran's eating habits as a challenge and proceeded to eat his pancakes just as noisily, only stopping when Keith kicked his leg under the table.

"Oomph!" Lance nearly choked on the food in his mouth, eyes bulging comically as he struggled not to cough. When he'd swallowed, he growled at Keith, "If you're gonna play footsie under the table, I expect it to be sexy. None of this abusing Lance nonsense, okay?"

"It was an accident," Keith said sarcastically.

"Your face is an accident."

"WHAT?!"

Shiro sighed, "Guys, please."

Coran, who'd been watching the exchange, finally finished eating and pushed the plate aside. After wiping his mouth with a napkin, he chuckled, "Oh, young love! The visions don't do you lovebirds justice."

"We're not in love," Lance balked, pouting as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Keep telling yourself that," Coran replied cheekily with a wink.

Keith rolled his eyes. Now that the other man wasn't preoccupied, he decided to satiate his curiosity and broach the topic of the other's ability. "About your power: how does that work exactly? Can you target specific future events or...?"

"I'd think it would be obvious; I will myself to get a vision of the future, and I do. I'm not able to channel a vision for a specific event or person, least not yet. Everything's random, really, and usually not in order. For example," Coran smirked, "I got a vision of the first time you played 'Voltron' before the one of how you met Lance. I knew it was going to happen, and I'm still surprised you gave him the time of day."

"Yeah me too," Keith murmured, ignoring Lance's cry of indignation. What else had Coran seen already? As tempting as it was to ask, he refrained; he could find out something he didn't want to know, like if the other man saw anything involving any intimate/romantic moments. Did he really want to find out if he and Lance end up together? ...Maybe.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he asked, "How long have you had your ability? Even with the limitations, it's got to be incredibly useful, not just for today but in general. Have you had any visions that could help our investigation?"

"122 days - so roughly four months. My power has its usefulness, yes, but it can be frustrating as well. My visions relating to 'Voltron' are mostly tied to your group, which is what compelled me to seek you out once I heard you'd come to town." At their looks of confusion, Coran's explained, "It's a small town, people talk, especially about possible pornstars checking into our motel. I don't know what you said or did to Gus to give him that impression, but still. I figured it had to be you, the ones from my visions, so I hurried over."

If it had been pornstars, what would've happened then? Keith snorted at the thought. "You're a local, right? What can you tell us about Haggar's?"

"Technically I'm a transplant from New Zealand, I've been here for a year." Coran's expression turned grim. "Haggar's is... Well, you've already experienced the bad food and lousy service for yourself. I've been to the bar maybe a dozen time in all the time I've lived here, it's not really my kind of place. The only reason I ended up playing 'Voltron' was because everyone kept talking about how fun it was, so I thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. After I discovered my power - and determined I was not losing my mind - I tried to speak to the owner but the staff stonewalled me. I kept what happened to me a secret because no one else in town seemed to be affected. When I heard the bar was getting rid of 'Voltron,' I made another attempt to talk to the owner but was met with similar results." Turning to Shiro, he said, "You should really tell the boys what you learned from last night."

Keith and Lance looked at Shiro, simultaneously asking, "What'd you learn last night?"

Groaning, Shiro scrubbed a hand over his face, his voice dejected when he admitted, "I'm not sure, least not how useful it will be. I was able to read the waiter's mind; he's a recent hire and has no knowledge of the machine. From the bartender I was only able to pick up a couple of stray thoughts. The first was his hatred for his job and resentment towards the owner, whose name actually is Haggar. And the second was about that guy Thace: he knew Thace had a falling out with the owner on the day of his death, but not the specifics of what caused it. When I tried to look into it further, the bartender shut me out of his mind entirely. It felt similar to what the gunman did."

"So the gunmen are definitely connected to Haggar's," Keith mused aloud. "Was there no one else you could get anything from?"

"Nothing relevant to 'Voltron.' I do want to go back there tonight. If there are any other staff working, I can try to read them."

"But if they can shield their minds, what good will it do? And how do they know to shut you out?"

Shiro shrugged. "Maybe they're more sensitive to it, they might be able to feel my presence in their minds. They are aliens, or at least alien-human hybrids." He paused before continuing, "Going back is our only option if we want to find out more. If I can't read anyone's mind, then we may have to take a risk and question them."

Lance cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him. "Assuming they don't stonewall us like they did to Coran, they could easily lie to us. Or worse, shoot us up with those enhancement bullets and watch us destroy ourselves." Turning to Coran, he asked, "You know about those, right?"

Coran nodded. "I had a vision of the mousy boy's clone fiasco."

"Matt's not mousy," Shiro muttered under his breath. When he noticed Keith's pointed stare, he blushed and straightened his posture.

"Say Coran, I know you had bad experiences with the Haggar's staff but - since you're part of the team now - will you come with us tonight?" Lance flashed a pleading hand gesture.

The redhead's mustache twitched, his eyes glinting mischievously as he answered, "Of course! You're gonna need me by the end of it, trust me." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter and more dialogue heavy than I would've liked, but the boys needed to hash out stuff with Coran and next chapter is already long so I didn't want to smush this in there. Hopefully this was still enjoyable to read.
> 
>  
> 
> Next up: Haggar's revisited, the boys discover what really happened to Thace, Keith and Lance do have a dance-off, cuteness ensues, and more...
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	26. Boys Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is frustrated, Lance is flirty, Shiro's confused, and Coran's just here for a good time

After breakfast, the boys and Coran parted ways, the latter claiming he had a lot to do before they met up at Haggar's tonight. Keith wished the redhead had been more forthright, especially after his cryptic 'you're gonna need me' comment, but the other man didn't care to elaborate and evaded answering further questions by plying the trio with ones of his own. It was frustrating, to say the least, and Keith's impatience showed in the heavy, stomping steps he took to the rental car. He didn't even argue when Lance called shotgun again, automatically sliding into the backseat and slumping down, scowling as he stared out the window. Shiro didn't need to be a mind reader to recognize he wanted to be left alone, and Keith silently appreciated his thoughtfulness in engaging Lance in conversation up front, distracting the loud man from hassling him during the ride back to the motel.

However, once they pulled into the motel's parking lot, Lance chose to strike. Shifting to face the backseat, he took one look at Keith's face and asked, "What's got your panties in a twist, mullet? Were your pancakes not fluffy enough?"

"Lance," Shiro warned as he turned the car off.

Keith didn't know what aggravated him more - the other man's smirk or obtuseness. With a growl, he jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and stalked off to their room, not waiting or caring to see if the other two followed. He stormed directly into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind him. Anger made his movements choppy as he tore off his clothes, nearly ripping his tshirt in the process, and stepped into the shower. Keith flipped on the water, flinching when the icy spray hit his hair and skin but made no move to adjust the temperature.

Turning around to let the water hit his back, Keith spotted three bottles lined up on the shower floor: shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Were these supplied by the motel, he wondered, or did Shiro sneak out to buy them at some point? He didn't know much about brands, usually buying whatever was cheapest, but the fancy packaging on these led him to believe the latter. Grabbing the shampoo, he proceeded to lather his hair, flooded by the blended scent of roses and some spice (anise, maybe?). His eyes shut of their own volition, a moan escaping his lips as he massaged the product into his scalp.

A sudden squeak disrupted his reverie. Opening his eyes, he pulled back the thick shower curtain just enough to poke his head out. Keith bit back a squeak of his own - how had Lance gotten in the bathroom?! The other man seemed frozen in place, standing near the door and gaping at him. Annoyed at the intrusion, Keith demanded, "What are the hell are you doing in here?!"

It took a moment for Lance's brain to reboot, apparently. When he did answer, he sounded bemused. "I was worried, you were so mad I thought you were gonna hole up in the bathroom and refuse to come out. I knocked and called out to you but you didn't respond."

"Because I was in the freaking shower," he spat.

"Obviously. I mean, I know that now. I didn't realize before."

"Well now you do, so get out." Keith snapped the shower curtain back shut and stepped under the water, rinsing the sudsy shampoo from his hair. When it was clean, he paused before reaching for the conditioner. Poking his head back out, Keith's eyelid twitched when he saw the other man still standing in the same spot. "What part of get out did you not understand?!"

"Sorry" - he didn't sound sorry - "I just, um, need a minute. Please, don't let me stop you. Carry on."

Rolling his eyes and muttering, "pervert," Keith ducked back to grab the bottle of shampoo. He snickered at the 'whack' sound of the hurled bottle connecting with the unsuspecting man's head. Lance screeched and covered his head with one arm to block any potential follow-up attacks as he groped for the door handle. When he was finally alone again in the bathroom, Keith put the conditioner in his hair and, while he let that penetrate the strands, squirted some of the body wash onto his hands and wiped down his body. By the time he rinsed for the final time, his mood had drastically improved.

As Keith turned off the water and reached for a towel, he glanced quick to make sure Lance hadn't returned before stepping out of the stall to dry his body. He regretted not packing a change of underwear, grimacing over the thought of slipping into the old ones. Screw it, he thought as he kicked the boxers aside and pulled his jeans over his bare skin. Fortunately the denim was soft, so it didn't chafe his sensitive areas. After buttoning his jeans, he put on the tshirt and gathered up his boxers. Bracing himself for what may come, he opened the bathroom door and entered the bedroom.

Lance was nowhere to be seen. Shiro, who'd been reading a book, looked up and flashed him a smile. "Hey man, you feeling any better?"

"Y-yeah, thanks," Keith mumbled as he hurried to stuff the discarded boxers in his backpack. Had Lance been in the room, he was positive the other man would be shooting those fingerguns at him and making flirty comments about going 'al fresco.' He was relieved that Shiro was there instead. Relieved. Right, he told himself. Straightening back up, he asked, "Where's Lance?"

Shiro's dimples deepened as his smile grew, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "He said he needed some air. You know, he was in the bathroom longer than I'd expected, and when he came out he was flushed and a little out-of-breath - something happen I should know about?"

Shaking his head at the other man's innuendo, Keith grabbed his phone and shot a text to Lance: ' _Hey, where are you?_ ' He tucked his phone in his back pocket and sat down on the other bed as he waited for a response. Several minutes passed before his phone buzzed; Lance's response was: ' _missed me? ;) i'm chillin wit my girl kaltenecker, bb in a sec._ '

Kaltenecker? Keith mouthed, groaning when he remembered the plastic cow in the front lobby. Of course Lance would go back just to scandalize the manager, he thought, unable to suppress a snicker. Shiro raised his eyebrow at that but didn't comment, simply shifting his book to continue reading.

When the door slammed open, neither man reacted to the loud noise or the equally loud man that strutted into the room. Lance alternated between smirking and whistling, hands shoved in his pockets. Was he trying to play innocent? Keith rolled his eyes. He patted a spot on the bed beside him and, without hesitation, Lance slid right in to occupy the space, close enough that their thighs touched.

"Are you gonna tell us why you look so darn happy with yourself, or are we gonna have to guess?" Keith shot him a look. "We're not gonna get kicked out of here, are we?"

Lance scoffed. "Pfft, no. I'm always happy with myself, it's called self-esteem, mullet. But," he leaned closer, faux-whispering conspiratorially, "I did give Gus some more fodder for the gossip mill. He now thinks we're in a 3-way BDSM relationship; I told him Shiro's our 'daddy Dom.'" Turning to Shiro, Keith shared a look with the man before they both face-palmed in response. Lance, not deterred, burst out laughing, the other two soon joining in.

When their laughter tapered off, Lance asked, "So babe, what was up earlier? Do you not like Coran, or was it really the pancakes? I think both were pretty spectacular."

"We just met him, Lance."

"So? I was crazy about you from the first time we met. I'm an excellent judge of character, babe."

Ignoring the warmth blossoming in his cheeks, Keith decided to answer the man's original question. Taking a moment to consider his words, he said, "I think he's an interesting guy, but I didn't like how evasive he was at times. Maybe it was nerves, but he could be holding out on us."

"I know how you hate evasiveness, I remember when you called me out on that." Sighing, he conceded, "The comment about us needing his help tonight was kinda dodgy. Like what does that mean? We gonna need him to drive us home because we're all gonna get plastered? Or are we gonna need him to help us dodge those alien bullets because the hoodie gang is closing in on us? There's a lot of room for interpretation there."

Pleased that he did understand the situation, Keith patted Lance on the shoulder. "Exactly. It's frustrating, and that's why I snapped. There's too many unknowns in this entire investigation, and the stress of it just comes to a boiling point sometimes."

"I think that's the closest I'll get to an apology, and I accept," Lance smirked at Keith's scowl, ignoring the other's mumbled 'if anyone is owed an apology, it's me you peeping perv.' "I think as long as we stick together tonight, we'll be okay. Even if we can't learn anything new, at least we'll have tried."

Keith admired the other man's optimism but didn't agree; if they learned nothing new tonight, then their investigation was as good as dead in his eyes. However, he kept those thoughts to himself and just shot Lance a small, half-smile of encouragement.

 

* * *

 

Haggar's was much busier tonight than last, Keith realized as they pulled into the parking lot. Shiro ended up having to drive around to the back of the building to find a parking space, voicing his displeasure at the space's distance from the door and the lack of lighting in the area as they exited the car.

"I'm all the light you'll need," Keith said in an attempt to reassure the other man.

"You're all the light I need," Lance winked and shot fingerguns at him.

Shiro frowned. "I don't think you should use your power while we're here, not unless it's a life or death situation. It'll attract too much attention."

Both Keith and Shiro were surprised when Lance replied hotly, "Technically you already attracted attention, Shiro. He may not realize it was you specifically who did it, but that bartender knows someone tried to read his mind last night otherwise he wouldn't have known to shut it down. Maybe you shouldn't use your power while we're here."

Was it wrong that he found Lance standing up to Shiro kind of...sexy? Keith wondered. To Shiro, he said, "I won't use it unless it's safe to do so or absolutely necessary. But I think Lance brings up a good point, maybe none of us should use our powers tonight. We can check out who's working and pick out one or two of them to talk to."

The other man didn't look happy but he agreed, leading the way inside with Keith and Lance trailing behind him. Music blared loudly from the jukebox, some 80s pop song Keith wasn't too familiar with; several people were partying on the dancefloor. All of the tables were occupied, so the boys resigned themselves to sitting at the bar. Coran was already there, leaning against the shiny bartop and sipping on a frothy beer. His eyes lit up when he spotted the trio, enthusiastically waving them over.

"Boys!" Coral greeted. Keith tried not to giggle when he saw some of the beer's foam lingered on the man's mustache.

"Hey Coran, what're you having?" Shiro asked as he sat on one of the empty stools.

"Mac's Sassy Red, quite fitting don't you think?" The redhead twirled an end of his mustache with one finger. "It's actually a brew from back home, almost makes me homesick! You should try it."

To Keith's surprise and Coran's delight, Shiro agreed and lifted a hand to motion to the bartender. Keith hadn't paid any attention to the bartender from last night, so he didn't know if this was the same person. He was a tall, pale man with muscles that rivaled Shiro's, dressed in the signature 'Haggar's' black tshirt, fabric stretched taunt across his shoulders and biceps. Flashing them a toothy grin, he asked, "Evening. What can I get you?" His voice sounded smooth and deep, almost like a purr. Keith wondered, could his eyes be yellow beneath those purple obvious contacts?

Shiro looked completely at ease when he ordered his drink. "And for my friends..." He turned to face Keith and Lance, gesturing for them to speak up.

"Um, vodka tonic." Keith defaulted to his usual drink of choice.

"No, he wants Mac's Sassy Red," Lance interjected, ignoring Keith's huff. "One for me, too. And can we have a round of shots? Patron, if you have it."

The bartender shot him a fingergun, "You got it, stud."

Lance beamed, oblivious to the glare Keith directed at the bartender's back as the man prepared their drinks. "He's great, we should totally question him," he whispered.

Keith opened his mouth to say 'heck no,' but the words never came because the bartender had returned, lining up their drinks on the counter. The bartender winked at them - probably at Lance, Keith thought bitterly - and told them to enjoy before tending to customers at the other end of the bar.

"Shall we?" Lance picked up a shot, forcing one into Keith's hands when the other man made no move to take one himself. Shiro eyed the shot warily but took one up, Coran doing the same. "Cheers!"

The liquor burned going down Keith's throat, but he managed to down the shot without uttering a cough; he did have to follow it up with a gulp of his beer, though. Shiro's face scrunched in disgust as he pushed his now empty shot glass away, muttering that it was 'the last and only one' he'd have tonight. Coran and Lance both let out 'whoo's!' after the emptied their shots, slamming them down on the counter and slapping eachother five.

As Coran and Lance made small-talk, Keith took the opportunity to scope out the bar. The waiter from last night was standing in front of a table of what looked like housewives, looking bored as usual as he handed them their margaritas. Only one other staff member seemed to be working, a bony, bottled-blonde with heavy eye makeup and facial tattoo curling from her right temple down to her jaw. Like the other two, the blonde sported the 'Haggar's' tshirt; however, unlike the other two, she was leaning against a wall watching everyone. A bouncer, perhaps?

Leaning close so as not to be overheard, he asked Coran, "Do you know any of the staff? Were any of these three around the times you asked to speak to the owner?"

Coran was not so subtle in his look around the room, but he did keep his voice soft when he answered, "The waiter's new, as you guys know. The bartender was around one time but I don't remember speaking to him. And the blonde is a no-go, she shot me down and I think she would've literally shot me if she had a gun handy."

"How about Coran and I chat up the hunky bartender," Lance batted his eyelashes at Keith, "while you and Shiro take the scary lady?"

"Ooh, I like that plan!" Coran slapped Lance on the back.

Keith scowled. "If she's already stonewalled him, why would I bother approaching her?"

"Because, mullet, she clearly speaks your language: emo. Beneath that bad dye job, hooker makeup, and murder face, she's probably a sweet, cuddly softie just like you." He paused to take a sip of his beer. "And you should take Shiro because he can use those sexy muscles to pull her off if she goes to clobber you."

Neither Keith nor Shiro liked the plan and said as much. "I don't think anyone should approach the woman, least not yet. And I'll be the one talking to the bartender," Keith insisted. Both Coran and Lance pouted but relented, the redhead pulling the other man check out the jukebox. Shiro took the initiative and waved the bartender over again.

"You ready for another round?"

"Actually no," Keith spoke up. When the bartender met his eyes, he asked, "A friend told me this place had some cool arcade games, but I don't see any. Did you guys get rid of them or something?"

The bartender looked amused as he leaned forward on his elbows. "We got rid of them a few months back. What friend was this? Can't be a local, they'd know better."

"He used to work here actually, name was Thace." Keith could feel the confused look Shiro shot him but pressed on, "He told me about this one called 'Voltron,' said I had to play it. I haven't been up this way before, but now that I'm here I thought I'd try it out. It's a shame you no longer have it." To his dismay, the bartender didn't seem shocked or upset by the mention of the deceased former employee. Did he maybe not know the man? He wondered. After a moment, he decided to ask that very question.

"Yeah," the bartender smirked, "I knew Thace. Shame about his death, he was a good guy and a decent barback. That explains why you're talking about our old games." He cocked his head to the side, smirking when he asked, "Or does it?"

Keith shrugged. "I was really looking forward to playing those. I think I want to complain to the owner, when is he or she in?" Shiro looked on the verge of vomiting as he looked back and forth between Keith and the bartender. 'What are you doing?' His eyes seemed to scream; Keith's own would probably answer, 'No idea!' Maybe it was the bartender's flirt towards Lance, or maybe it was something else, but Keith felt off his game around the man.

"Cute and funny," the bartender commented, tone wry. "As one 'friend' of Thace's to another, let me give you some advice: you shouldn't ask questions _in_ _here_. Not everyone is nice like me." He straightened up. "If you boys do want another round, let me know." With that, he turned and walked to the other end of the bar. Keith slumped on his stool, which Shiro seemed to finally find his voice.

"What the quiznak was that, Keith?!" He hissed. "You might as well have supernova'ed, I thought we weren't going to draw attention to ourselves."

"Shiro," Keith leaned forward to whisper in the other man's ear, "did you try to read his mind?" At the other man's shake of the head, he asked, "Can you? Just try it, please."

Shiro didn't look happy, but he tilted his head to look at the bartender. After several moments, he turned to Keith. "How'd you know?"

"Were you able to read his mind?"

"You know I did. He didn't give me much but still..." He repeated, "I could tell he was letting me do it. How'd you know he would?"

"It's hard to explain, just a feeling I got from talking to him. So what did he give you?"

"His phone number and a time to contact him: tomorrow morning, 9AM."

 

* * *

 

Lance, it turned out, was a great dancer. Keith's eyes were drawn to the other man's slim hips and tiny butt as he worked his way around the dancefloor. Coran was seemingly glued to the jukebox, flipping through song after song and inserting quarters to make more selections; whenever Lance would pass by, the other man would extend his hand out to slap him five. Keith edged close to where Lance was currently shaking his booty.

"Lance, we need to head out soon."

The other man scoffed. "No way! I'm just getting started here, babe. Either get over here and grind those sweet hips into mine, or go back to playing detective with Shiro."

"Are you serious?"

"Are you?" Lance smirked, looking him up and down, eyes lingering first on Keith's lips then down to his chest and hips. "You said so yourself earlier, the not knowing's making you tense. So put it aside and have some fun. Come on, come dance with me."

Rolling his eyes, Keith mumbled dismissively, "whatever," and turned to head back to the bar. He'd only taken a step when the other man's voice rang out, "What's the matter, can't dance? Or can't keep up? Not surprising for a skinny gringo."

Keith knew he was being goaded, manipulated, and everything inbetween - that didn't stop him from spinning around and stomping up to the other man, scowling at his smiling face. "You asked for it." Without looking away, he called out, "Hey Coran? Can you put on something more lively than this?" He wasn't sure what song was playing right now, but it was dreadful.

The redhead's voice betrayed his offense when he replied, "'Fergalicious' is plenty lively, not to mention a classic, Keith. But fine," after pressing a few buttons he said, "this should do the trick."

As the openings notes of 'Crazy In Love' played over the speaker, Keith winked at Lance. "Okay, _babe_. Prepare to eat your words." When the other man grabbed him and whispered something about preferring to eat him, Keith shoved him away before busting a move.

 

* * *

 

Shiro wandered over to Coran's side, eyes locked on the dancefloor. "Is this what you meant by us needing you by the end of the night? It probably will take the two of us to drag them off there."

The redhead laughed so hard that he startled the other man. Placing a hand on Shiro's shoulder, he waited until he regained his composure enough to say, "Oh no, my boy, the night's not over yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These boys... *shakes head*
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks again to everyone for all your clicks, kudos, and comments - they make my day! <3


	27. Perfect Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have one last drink before heading out, but it turns out they've caught some unwanted attention

They'd only danced to one song before Shiro stepped in and literally pulled them apart, grabbing each man by the scuff of his neck and steering them back to the bar. Keith blushed when he caught the bartender watching them with a devilish smirk. Coran must've already ordered another round of beer, as he thrust a glass at each man upon their arrival. Keith tried not to stare as Lance chugged his down, giving (what he hoped were) covert side glances to check out how the other man's strong throat worked the liquid down.

Apparently he wasn't that subtle, as Shiro stepped forward to block his view. Pouting, Keith took a sip of his drink. Shiro waited until he'd finished before saying, "I think we should head out after these. We've got a lead, and we've drawn enough attention to ourselves."

"He's right. I don't think you boys realized that you had an admirer while you were out there." Instead of motioning to the bartender, as Keith would've expected, Coran pretended to scratch his shoulder but used the fingers gesture to behind him. "The blonde woman was staring at you both the entire time, even circled the dancefloor a few times."

Keith glanced back and tried - and probably failed - to keep his expression neutral when he made eye contact with the blonde employee, who was once again leaning on a wall. He had little experience with women, but he doubted the woman was checking him out for lusty reasons. Her gaze, if anything, was more calculating, clinical. Lance's next words turned his attention back to their group.

"What can I say? Ladies love me, they can't resist my sexy moves," he said with a smug grin. At Keith's scowl, he rushed on to add, "Don't worry babe, even if she was hot, which she's not, I'm all yours."

Warring between feeling flustered and annoyed, the latter won out. Ignoring the other man now fingergunning at him, Keith informed the others, "I think she's checking us out for something else entirely. Did you notice if she talked to the bartender at all?"

Coran and Shiro exchanged looks then shook their heads. The redhead asked, "Why? Do you think the bartender tattled on you? Shiro told me he wants you to call him outside of the bar."

Lance gasped, eyes narrowing and tone accusatory when he said, "You failed to mention that scumbag slipped you his digits."

"Scumbag? Weren't _you_ the one calling him a hunk earlier?" Keith growled. 

"That was before he made a move on my man!"

"It's not like that," he hissed. Pausing to take a deep, calming breath, he continued, "I think he may be willing to help us, or at least talk to us about either Thace or 'Voltron,' or maybe even both."

"Or he could lure us into a trap and kill us!"

Shiro shushed the other man, scanning the bar to make sure the loud man hadn't attracted attention from any of the staff or other patrons. When he deemed the coast clear, he dropped his voice to a whisper: "It's a risk we have to take. Unless," he looked to Coran, "have you had visions of us meeting him?" When the redhead shook his head, the other man sighed. "So a risk it is."

An itching feeling on the back of his neck had Keith turning his head. He blanched when he spotted the blonde woman had moved. To get a closer look at him? he wondered. Whatever her reason, her behavior was making Keith anxious. Grabbing his drink, he chugged the remaining beer down. "Um, guys, let's hurry and get out of here. It's getting late, right?"

Whereas Lance looked like he wanted to protest, the other two men shrugged and finished their drinks. After a moment, though, he accepted defeat and polished off the remainder of his beer, too. Coran insisted on paying their tab, claiming the night out was his treat; when the others tried to argue, the redhead shooed them away.

"You boys go on ahead outside, I'll settle this and join you."

It was Keith who spurred the others into action. Though his pride wanted him to persist, he suspected Coran was just as stubborn, if not moreso; also, he just really wanted to get away from the blonde. Taking ahold of Lance's wrist with one hand and Shiro's with the other, he murmured a 'thank you' to the redhead then dragged the other men to the door. Once they stepped outside, he released Shiro but slid his other hand down to entwine with Lance's own.

Looking up, Keith was pleased to see the stars alight in the sky. The weather was quite nice as well, a mild temperature with a gentle breeze. Perfect for flying, he mused. Was Lance thinking the same thing? Keith lamented that, because the area was unknown and potentially dangerous, they had to wait until returning to California to utilize Lance's ability.

Several minutes passed before the door opened again. Expecting to see Coran, Keith jumped when the blonde women stepped outside. Shiro shot the woman a cursory glance but otherwise didn't seem concerned, even moving aside to make room for her to pass by. The woman, however, made no move to walk past, remaining right in front of the door. Was she blocking it to keep them from going back in? Keith wondered. Lance, to his horror, looked amused.

"Hey babe, you come out here for my number?" Lance chuckled and held us his hand clasped with Keith's. "In case you couldn't tell, I'm taken."

 _Oh jeez_. Keith groaned at the other man's idiocy, yanking his hand away and taking a step to the side to distance himself, should the blonde choose to slug Lance. To his surprise, the woman didn't react poorly; in fact, she barely reacted at all. Other than briefly looking Lance over, she otherwise ignored him and focused her attention on Keith and Shiro. Despite the night sky, Keith could better see the woman's facial tattoo when standing this close, taking noting of its intricate pattern of geometric shapes. The placement was unattractive in his opinion, but he admitted the design was beautiful.

When the woman remained silent, Shiro stepped in. "I apologize for my friend, I think he's had a little too much to drink. We're just waiting for our other friend." His voice sounded calm but, when he looked at his friends, Keith saw a flicker of unease in the other man's eyes. "Come on guys, let's get out of her way."

Lance looked like he wanted to object, but Keith grabbed ahold of his hand again and tugged him along towards the back of the building. Shiro trailed behind, his normally steady tread now betraying a hint of urgency. As they turned the corner, Keith couldn't resist glancing back. His eyes widened - the blonde was still watching them, and she began to cackle when her eyes met his. Just as she shifted to step forward, the front door violently burst open, knocking her to the pavement.

Coran nearly tripped over her sprawled out body as he rushed out. He didn't spare the woman a glance, scurrying over to his friends and pushed them to keep walking. The redhead's voice was high as he declared, "See? Told ya you'd need me by the end of the night. Now hurry before she gets up!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I was having some problems with my internet connection, so I couldn't get onto Ao3 for several hours. But it's all good now, so please enjoy this chapter. ^_^
> 
> Next up: What happened back in Cali while the boys were gone? The boys find that out and more when they return home (with one heck of a souvenir). 
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	28. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith makes the awaited call and finds out more than he bargained for. The boys head back to Cali and find out what their friends have been up to.

Keith pushed Shiro aside and slid into the driver's seat, shooting the other man an apologetic look; now was not the time for grandmotherly driving, he reasoned. Lance jumped in the front passenger seat, leaving Coran and Shiro to share the backseat. The two hadn't even clipped their seat belts when they were jostled by Keith's erratic, speedy backing out of the parking space. Ignoring Shiro's warning to 'remember, this is a rental,' Keith floored the gas pedal and pulled onto the main road.

"And remember, this isn't Grand Theft Auto," Lance chimed in gleefully. "Last thing we need is to attract the cops, mullet. High speed chases never end well."

Taking one hand off the wheel to flip him the middle finger, Keith did slow down just a fraction, still driving above the speed limit. They made it back to the motel in record time, without incident or accident. However, none of them took any chances by lingering outside, quickly moving inside their motel room. Shiro locked the door behind them, peeking out the window to make sure no one followed them before drawing the curtains shut once more. Whereas Lance flopped down face-first on the first bed, the other men remained standing.

Coran looked around the room, seeming composed as he studied their belongings and surroundings. The redhead's casual attitude, after what had happened outside of Haggar's, irritated Keith. He didn't trust himself to speak, and luckily he didn't have to as Shiro was the one to ask, "What was that back there, Coran?"

"Oh, that? I saved your lives." Situating himself on the bed - _yeah, get comfy_ , Keith thought sarcastically - Coran continued, "Before we met, I'd seen you boys go back to Haggar's tonight only to be attacked and drugged in the parking lot by that employee. I was determined to save you, that's why I approached you this morning, to change your fate. You invited me to join you tonight before I even had the chance to suggest it myself, and I can't tell you how happy that made me. I knew my being there would change the future; I channeled another vision this afternoon to see how it was altered. In the new vision, I was there with you boys but we met a similar fate. So I thought to myself, how can I fix this? It's why I sent you outside first, because I knew that woman would follow, and that would give me a chance to sneak attack her. And it worked, too!"

Lance, who'd been lolling on the bed, pushed up on his elbows to say, "But that plan could've totally backfired and then we would've ended up in the same situation, if not worse. Why didn't you warn us? A headsup would've been nice, dude."

Exactly, Keith thought as he watched the redhead expectantly. He was surprised when the other man's face fell, his mask of casualness melted away. Coran sounded ashamed when he admitted, "I'd say it was because I was worried it would make our futures worse, but that's not the case; I simply didn't know how to tell you. There's no wiki-how on how to break it to the people you just met that you had a vision of something potentially fatal happening to them. I figured if I failed knock that blonde down and out, then I would egg her on to attack me first, so you all could have a chance to escape."

Everyone seemed to freeze at the man's confession. Lance had that comically bug-eyed look on his face, and Shiro gaped at the redhead. Keith could feel the frown pulling his lips down and wrinkling his forehead, but he wasn't saddened by nor any longer annoyed with the other man; he was humbled. Coran, a virtual stranger, was willing to put himself in harm's way for them. Before this investigation, Keith had never known anyone to stand up or risk themselves for him in any manner. Lance, his friends, Shiro, and now Coran, amazed him with their loyalty and bravery. If he was the sort of person to cry, he would - but he wasn't, so Keith merely forced his facial features to return to neutral as he whispered the words his two friends were no doubt also thinking: "Thank you."

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Keith awoke sandwiched between the familiar warmth of Lance and Shiro, the former softly snoring in the crook of his neck while the latter pinned him down with a careless drape of his legs. As he managed to slither out and away from them, he glanced across Shiro's shoulder and startled at the sight of Coran sprawled out like a starfish across the other bed. It took him a moment to remember they'd invited the other man to crash there, as they all realized one of the Haggar's employees could probably easily track down Coran to his house and, since the other man lived alone, attack him with no one the wiser. Better to stick together, they agreed.

Keith fished his cellphone out of his backpack then stumbled into the bathroom, waiting until he'd shut the door (quietly) before flipping on the light switch. He glanced down at his phone to check the time and blanched; it was a few minutes 'til 9AM. Scrolling to his text messages, he found the one Shiro had sent him before bed listing the bartender's phone number. Selecting the highlighted number, Keith let out a shaky breath and hit 'dial.'

Three rings later, a silky voice purred on the other end, "Hello?"

 _This is where you speak_ , Keith chided himself after he floundered for a few moments. "Um, h-hi, it's the guy from last night, Kei-"

"Don't tell me your name!" the bartender growled. He paused, clearing his throat, before saying, "Sorry. The less I know about you, the better. That way they can't extract anything to use against you should they discover we've talked."

Extract? As tempted as Keith was to ask the other man what he meant by that, he refrained; he had a feeling he didn't want to know. Instead, he asked, "Does that mean you're, um, going to help me?"

"That depends on what you want to know and what I can tell you in the next," he paused, "five minutes. I dare not linger any longer than that. Cellphones are only so secure, you know."

"Right. So...what actually happened to Thace? I heard he had a falling out with your boss."

"He was caught trying to defect and was executed, but it was covered up to look like an accident. I believe you saw the executioner last night, I know she saw you."

The blonde woman. He cringed, recalling her calculating eyes and unnerving behavior. "What do you mean by defect?"

"Why don't you ask me what's really on your mind?" The bartender countered. Keith didn't need to see the man to know he was smirking. "Why don't you ask me about 'Voltron'?"

Why can't he ask about both? Keith wondered. Gulping, he asked, "Okay. What c-can you tell me about 'Voltron'?"

The bartender sounded amused when he said, "I guess this means you're not the mind reader, then. I feel bad for whoever it is. Did they tell you what I was thinking last night?"

"No, um, that's not what I can do." Not wanting to get sidetracked, he repeated his previous question.

"You know this machine grants powers, and I'm assuming you know it's not of Earth despite its appearance. But what I'm guessing you don't know is that it's not a game at all; it's a beacon, designed to locate a great weapon hidden by our enemies over a millennia ago. Many planets throughout this galaxy possess a beacon of some type, each tailored to blend in with the populace or, if uninhabited, the environment."

Considering arcades were mostly obsolete given modern gaming systems, mobile apps, etc., Keith could argue that the beacon wasn't designed to blend in at all. Unless, he wondered, how old was that machine? How long had it been on Earth? If it was designed and implemented in the 80s or early 90s, then that choice would be more logical. This is just brought up so many more questions, he realized. Overwhelmed, Keith scrambled for something to ask, finally settling on; "Is it an intentional part of the design that it grants powers? Or is that a side effect?"

"Everything is deliberate. The energy from those worthy of abilities combine to boost the signal of the search. Even if you don't utilize your powers, the machine will recognize your existence and harness that."

"You're an alien, right? You're from the people that designed the machine?" Noticing his palms beginning to sweat, Keith gripped the phone tighter in one hand and wiped the other on his pants.

"I am a half-breed. Almost all Galra are these days, with the exception of our progenitor who is pure blood."

Galra. The race mentioned in the game, he mused. It made sense. But the progenitor...it couldn't be...? "Zarkon is real?" The bartender's sudden burst of laughter made Keith flinch. Well, he mocked himself, that was all the answer he needed, right? He thought of Lance and how the other man might would react to 'grumpy ol' cat-bat' existing; he'd probably laugh just as hard as this guy. When the other man's laughter died down, Keith asked, "If we're necessary for the machine to work, why are your people trying to hurt me and my friends? And why isn't the machine giving powers to everyone?" He groaned when the bartender's laughter started up again.

The other man recovered quicker this time, much to his relief. "Not everyone is worthy or necessary. Do you know about what's in those bullets? The liquid, it's called quintessence and designed to increase your powers. The intention is not to kill you but to make you stronger, so you give off more energy to boost our beacon. If," he purred, "one of you should die, it's your own fault then for being too weak and lazy to master your abilities."

Now that pissed him off. Keith's voice was hard when he replied, "These powers we've been given? They're dangerous enough without your people messing with them. And actually shooting at us? Someone nearly bled to death from a gunshot wound to the gut. If you're not trying to kill us, then maybe you might want to consider switching to something less fatal."

"I'll pass that along to my superiors," was the cheeky response. The other man's voice turned serious when he next spoke. "I will allow you one more question before I hang up. And after I do hang up, I will throw out this phone. This will be the last thing you may ask me, so I suggest you think carefully."

Keith wanted to suggest he go quiznak himself but refrained. Instead, he did give some thought as to what to ask. "What is this great weapon, and what are you going to do with it once you get it?"

"That's technically two questions, but I'm feeling kind so I'll answer: Voltron. With it, we're going to conquer your world. Goodbye, pretty one." The bartender hung up before Keith could respond.

Not that he would've or could've, he thought. Speechless, Keith shut his phone and slunk down to sit on the cold tiled floor.

 

* * *

 

By the time he emerged from the bathroom, Keith still feeling numb but, he hoped, able to hide it. Schooling his expression, he greeted the other men, who were all awake and drinking coffee. A box of donuts - make that, one donut - sat in the center of one bed. Lance, who'd been sitting beside it, lifted the box towards Keith.

"Saved you one, babe. Blueberry cream. Aaaaand," he nodded towards Coran, who held two cups, "we got you something to wash it down. We gotta head back to Boston and the airport soon, so eat up!"

Grateful for the distraction, Keith grabbed the donut, taking a large bite, and reached for his coffee, nodding in thanks. Shiro gave him a once-over, frowning. "How long have you been up?"

Swallowing hard, Keith mumbled, "A couple of hours."

"And you didn't wake me?!" Lance shrieked. "Babe, we coulda snuck off for some smooches! Do you know how long it's been? Forever. I'm going through Keith withdrawals hardcore."

Blushing, he shoved more donut in his mouth and looked away. Shiro, however, was not deterred. "You woke up in time to call the bartender, then. Did you?" Keith was surprised the other man hadn't already read his mind for the answers; maybe he's trying to be considerate of the others, he reasoned.

When he could speak, he replied, "Y-yeah." All three men leaned forward, looking eager for him to continue. Keith sighed. "We didn't talk long, but I was able to get some new information out of him. 'Voltron' is real, guys; it's some kind of weapon the Galra looking for. The machine is supposed to be some kind of scanning beacon, to locate it. He didn't specify, so I'm not sure if the weapon is hidden in our solar system or if they're just searching everywhere for it. But apparently they gave us powers because they need us, to boost their search signal somehow. That's why they shot Matt, and why they're trying to shoot us all, to make us give off more energy."

Lance scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's so convoluted. Why aren't they giving everyone powers then to boost their stupid search? Why'd they pawn off the machine to Rolo? And why can't they power the machine themselves? Is their 'energy' not strong enough?" His eyes widened, a fiendish smirk tugging at his lips. "Wait, if they are Galra does that mean there's a real emperor cat-bat?!"

Rolling his eyes, Keith said, "He said 'not everyone was worthy or necessary.' I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that but, from his tone on that and other comments, their race has a superiority complex a couple of thousand miles wide. He didn't say why they got rid of the machine, but I suspect it's related to increasing or refining their search. I don't know why they can't power their machine; he did mention they aren't really any pure-blooded Galra anymore, so maybe that has something to do with it. And yeah, there's a real Zarkon out there."

Coran, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet, finally piped in. "Did you find out anything else?"

"They killed Thace, an old employee, for trying to turn on them. The bartender said the blonde woman working last night was the one who carried it out."

"So she _was_ going to kill us?"

Keith shrugged. "Maybe? I think we're more valuable alive to them than dead, but if we die along the way they're not gonna lose sleep over it."

Shiro scrubbed a hand over his face, letting out a weary sigh. "I know it's easier said than done, but let's put this on the back burner for now. We've got to head out now if we want to make the flight. We can discuss and form a plan when we're back in Cali."

"But Coran won't be there."

The redhead's face lit up. "Oh yes, I will. I'm coming with you!"

 

* * *

 

Their flight from Boston to LAX was uneventful, save for Coran and Lance getting scolded by a flight attendant for talking too loud. ( _'Why are you screaming when you're sitting right beside eachother? I think they heard you in Tokyo.'_ That made Keith laugh.) Shiro offered them all a ride to Hunk's house; Coran obviously accepted, but Lance and Keith declined. They'd flown in together and, exchanging a look, they both were anxious to utilize Lance's power again. The men parted ways out of the airport garage. Lance, not caring who was around and/or looking, pulled Keith into his arms then propelled upward.

It felt good to fly like this, Keith thought. Shutting his eyes, he snuggled closer to the other man's neck and inhaled his scent. He smelled a little musky - not showering for two days will do that to you - but underneath that was a spicy sweetness. The scent was as comforting as the thin but strong arms around him; Keith loved it.

Lance broke their silence, asking, "Babe, can I ask you something?"

"Just did," Keith deadpanned.

"I can't face-palm when I'm flying like this, but if I could I would." He sounded nervous when he next said, "Coran's gonna need a place to stay while he's out here. I don't know if, uh, Shiro can put him up but, I was thinking... How about we let him stay at Hunk's?" At Keith's confused expression, he rushed on to add, "The guest bedroom. We can let him have that, and you can stay with me. At my place."

While Keith wasn't thrilled at the idea of moving his things - he'd gotten the conspiracy wall perfect and everything - to say he was curious about Lance's home was an understatement. Despite their attraction, fight-flirting, and whirlwind circumstances, he acknowledged that there was still much to be learned about Lance McClain. Staying at his house could allow for that, as well as more kissing. _Okay, hesitation officially gone,_ he mused.

"Let's see if Shiro or Pidge offer to let Coran stay at his place. If not, then sure." A thought occurred to him. "Speaking of Pidge and Hunk, have you talked with either of them since we left?"

"What kind of friend do you take me for, mullet?" Lance huffed. "I texted Pidge four times, Hunk maybe twice that. I don't just go gallivanting in the middle of Galra-ville, Maine and ignore my friends. Everything was all good, same old same old, nothing earth-shattering happened while we were gone."

"Or so they claimed. Maybe they lied not to worry you. Do you have any proof everything was okay? What if someone was shot? Or worse?"

"No, Keith!" Lance glared, his voice stern. "If you do not behave yourself, I will turn this, uh, me around and make you walk there!"

 

* * *

 

An unfamiliar blue sportscar was parked in the driveway next to Shay's beat-up jeep. Exchanging a glance, Lance and Keith quickly landed and headed inside Hunk and Shay's house, Keith pushing past Lance to storm in first. A loud, cheery, familiar voice rang out as they approached the kitchen: "And then Lance tugged on Keith's hair before thrusting against his backside like a dog in heat -"

Both men blushed when they entered the room and all eyes turned to him. And it was _all_ eyes, as even Allura and Matt were among the group around the kitchen table.

"Oh hey, boys! I was just telling everyone about your dance-off last night," Coran greeted with a smile.

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Pidge snickered.

If looks could kill, Keith was certain both Coran and Pidge would be dead on the spot from the combined annoyance on his and Lance's faces. Pidge stuck out their tongue in response. The redhead paid them no mind, though, and continued telling the story; Keith only cringed three more times before the other man finally finished.

"Now that we're all fully traumatized," Pidge ignored Lance's cry of indignation, "might as well rip off the bandage and tell you what happened here while you were gone."

Wait, _here_? Keith had not been expecting that; he'd been mentally preparing himself to recount the findings from his conversation with the bartender from Haggar's. Scowling, he poked Lance in the shoulder. "I thought you said everything was good."

"I did!" Lance turned to Hunk, a questioning look on his face. "Why? Did something happen that you didn't tell me about, big guy?" He looked scandalized at the thought of his best friend holding out on him.

Hunk looked equally scandalized, breaking eye contact and rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well..." He was unable to continue before Pidge excitedly blurted out: "We caught one of those hooded gunmen last night, and he's tied up in my basement!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue dramatic music* 
> 
>  
> 
> Next up: more about Pidge and Matt's 'guest'...
> 
>  
> 
> Big hugs to everyone for reading my story, commenting, leaving kudos, etc. ~ I'm so happy to see/hear/read other people are enjoying this fic! <3


	29. We Meet At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys visit the prisoner and ask some questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got 99 problems, and a bad internet connection is still one - but I've got them coming out again, and this time I'm not letting them leave until it's fixed FOR REAL! :-P 
> 
> Without further delay...

After the shock wore off, after the yelling and arguing dwindled down, there was naturally only one thing left for Shiro, Keith, and Lance to do - head to Pidge and Matt's townhouse to see the captive for themselves. Matt and Pidge accompanied them, the latter speeding ahead while the former played chauffeur for the three men. Coran, though curious, decided to stay behind with Hunk, Shay, and Allura. His loss, Keith thought dismissively as they pulled out of Hunk's driveway.

An awkward silence fell over the men as they headed to the townhouse. Keith held Lance's hand in the backseat but otherwise ignored the other man, opting to stare out the window. At his side, Lance shot dirty looks at the back of Shiro's head and grumbled about how 'calling shotgun means you get to sit in the front seat, SHIRO.' Meanwhile, Shiro sat in the passenger seat with his arms crossed, eyes cast down to his feet as he clenched his jaw. Matt mostly focused on driving, though he did occasionally glance to check out the other man's profile. By the time they'd arrived at their destination, everyone was eager to get out of the car and go inside.

Last time he'd been there, Keith hadn't taken the time to look around the interior; he'd been too concerned with meeting Matt and witnessing his ability. It was no different this time, as his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the hooded gunman. _In their freaking basement._ If he had his way, he'd push past the others and storm down there immediately to see the captive himself. As it were, he waited (im)patiently as Matt led them to the living room.

Pidge was playing - and winning at - a game of MarioKart with two Matt clones, seated between them on the large couch. Not looking away from the television screen, the speedster greeted, "Sup slowpokes." They 'whooped' as their character Toad launched a blue shell, effectively knocking one clone's Luigi into the other's Princess Peach to guarantee them the victory. One Matt clone tossed their controller away and screeched while the second merely shrugged it off and sank further into the cushions.

"Hey guys," Matt returned. "Where are clones three through eight?"

Lance gasped, eyes wide in shock. "You made eight of those buggers?! And after what happened last time?!" Whereas one clone looked offended, the other couldn't be bothered from his comfortable lounging.

Matt chuckled. "Um, yeah. I had to, you know, to protect the house and keep our, um, guest here."

"You mean our prisoner," Pidge chirped. They put down their controller and stood up, stretching their tiny arms over their head. "Should we go show the boys? Keith looks about ready to clobber us all, and Shiro looks like he's getting there."

"That's Keithy baby's death glare." Lance's voice was filled with pride and admiring when he crooned, "Isn't it the sexiest and cutest expression you've ever seen?"

Rolling their eyes, Pidge gagged. "Let's go downstairs before I vomit." Motioning for the others to follow them, the speedster headed down a hallway and, at the end of it, opened a door leading to the basement. Keith, who'd rushed to be first behind Pidge, was relieved to see the descending stairwell was well-lit as they stepped down.

The basement itself wasn't particularly large, especially when already occupied by six Matt clones and their captive. However, the space wasn't a typical basement in its design by any means. Instead of a musty mess or dark dungeon, the room sported butter-yellow walls and shiny tiled flooring. There was minimal furniture, only a table with four chairs (currently being used by clones for a game of Gin Rummy) and a wooden chair in the corner, where the hooded gunman sat. Sat might've been the wrong word, Keith realized. Forcibly restrained was more accurate, as the captive was bound by what appeared to be a bed sheet, jump rope, extension cording, and several wrappings of duct tape. The gunman's hood was still cast down over his face, though his mouth had been gagged. The remaining Matt clones were standing nearby, one softly snoring as he slept slouched against the wall while his counterpart waved the new arrivals over enthusiastically.

"Hey guys! Ooh, is that Shiro? _Hello handsome._ "

"Behave," Matt hissed, stepping in front of a bemused Shiro as if to block the view; it might've worked had he been as tall or taller than the other man. "We want a few minutes with him, head upstairs - and take sleeping beauty with you."

Lance coughed to cover his muttered 'more like sleeping nerdy.' Had Keith not been so frustrated and itching to question the captive, he might've chuckled at the other's behavior. The clone pouted but obeyed, making certain to brush past Shiro while yanking his now awake and groggy match upstairs. Keith glanced behind them and mused the other clones must be remaining should they require assistance...or to continue their game, which seemed more likely as they carried on as though nothing was going on around them.

Turning back to face the captive, Keith startled - the captive was looking up, his golden eyes gleaming brightly under the lights. Most of his face was still shadowed by the hood, but the lower half was visible: square jaw, wide chin, thin and downturned lips tight around the gag, and blemish-free alabaster complexion. The hooded man was so pale, in fact, that delicate purple veins could be seen under certain areas of his skin. Keith had never seen someone so fair, and he himself was considered pasty compared to most people. Maybe the captive's mixed alien-human heritage had something to do with it?

Pidge stepped forward, nearly blocking Keith's view of the hooded gunman. He didn't have to see their face to know the speedster was staring down icily at the captive. Their voice left no room for argument when they growled, "I'm gonna remove the gag. If you make any move to bite me or spit at me, I'll drill my fist so fast into your face that I'll put a freaking hole in your head. Got it?" Ignoring Lance's awed whisper of 'woah Pidgemeister is hella scary,' the speedster waited until the captive nodded in acquiescence before pulling the gag out of his mouth. Stepping back, Pidge commanded, "My friends are going to ask you some questions, and you will answer them."

It took Keith a moment to realize he had free reign to speak, as did the other men. Looking to Shiro and Lance first to make sure they weren't going to, Keith cleared his throat then asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Galra." The hooded gunman's voice was hard, but their lips curled in amusement. "I've been waiting for the runts to bring you, pretty one."

Not sure what to do with the disturbing latter comment, he ignored it. "No, I mean we know your race. I know that. But who are you? What is your name?" One thing Keith regretted not asking the bartender was for his name; even Shiro hadn't been able to pick it up from the other's mind.

The hooded captive seemed surprised, his head cocked in question. Hesitantly, he replied, "Prorok."

"That's a quiznak'ed up name, dude," Lance snorted. Keith scowled in response and elbowed him, his eyes screaming 'ssshhh!'

To Prorok, he followed up with, "Were you the gunman that tried to shoot us outside of the bar? Or the one that attacked me and Shiro in that alley in Little Tokyo?"

"Yes."

"To which?"

"Both," Prorok grinned, showing off his prominent, fang-like canines.

 _Oh_. Keith gulped, thinking how close he came to being shot by this person - twice. He needed a few moments to regain his footing, so he looked to Shiro and Lance in hopes one of them would step in. It was Shiro that asked, "Are you the one that also shot Matt?" Everyone, even Prorok, flinched at the venom in his voice.

"The clones' originator? No, he is pursued by another."

"How many of you are there?"

Prorok gave Shiro a once-over before answering, "As many as it takes."

Pidge looked ready to make good on their previous threat, but Matt put a hand on their tiny shoulder and shook his head. The speedster glanced at their sibling and sighed, backing down.

When no one else made a move to speak, Lance haughtily taunted, "We know about the quintessence, Prozac. After you infect us, what then? You just gonna sit back and watch us be consumed by our powers? How do you expect to find 'Voltron' if we're all dead?"

Dammit Lance, Keith inwardly cursed. He hadn't wanted to reveal their findings to the captive; Lance, he grudgingly acknowledged, hadn't known that, but still. Watching Prorok's reaction, he blanched. The hooded captive tensed against his bindings, leaning forward as much as possible given his restraints to level a terrifying, golden glare solely at Keith.

"I wondered where you and your gangly consort disappeared to. So there _is_ another defector in our midst." Prorok chuckled darkly. "They will be dealt with, as shall you."

Puffing his chest up, Lance sneered. "Proglow, dude, you're forgetting one important thing: you're our prisoner, you're not going anywhere."

"For now," was the ominous reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: The questions continue. Matt and Shiro have a moment. Experiments are brought up. And more! 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	30. Clues and Cues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The interrogation continues but gets cut short when things get too heated. Keith and the others discuss what to do next.

Everyone had a different reaction to Prorok's last statement. Lance burst out laughing. A sputtering Pidge was held back by Matt; Keith suspected the speedster was mostly acting out for show to intimidate their captive, otherwise they could've easily moved too fast to be stopped. Keith himself was shifting his weight nervously under the weight of the Galra's intense glare. Shiro's response, though, surprised Keith most - neutral one moment, violent the next as he curled the fist back of his prosthetic and punched their captive right in the mouth. Keith gaped as he watched Prorok's head knock to the side, blood spilling from the Galra's thin lips. Lance's laughter suddenly cut off, his expression morphing to one of shock. Matt released Pidge, who'd ceased struggling and blinked owlishly at Shiro, and rushed to stand next to Shiro, reaching out to hold the man's prosthetic hand (in, what Keith assumed, was a weak attempt to deter him from lashing out again).

Lance was the first to recover his voice. "Shiro, what the quiznak?!" He flailed his arms, eyes wild. "Protractor's a total dick, but you can't go punching a dude when he's tied up!"

Shiro scowled, eyes not leaving Prorok, who began to recover and turned to face his attacker. Ignoring Lance's outburst, he growled at the Galra, "Answer Lance's question. You need us, right, to power your tracking system? Then how do you expect to find 'Voltron' if we're all dead? Whichever one of your cronies is gunning for Matt nearly killed his clone with that gut shot; what if that had been the actual Matt? He would've died, and then where would I- you be?" His voice cracked at the end, raw with emotion. Keith glanced at Matt and noticed the other man's cheeks redden.

Prorok licked his bloodied lips, eyes narrowed as he regarded Shiro. "You championing the creator and his clones is most fascinating," he paused, "Our intent is not to kill you but, should you die, it is your own fault-"

"Matt's not asking to get shot! None of us are! How is that our fault?"

"Only the strong will survive. The cloner lives; he has proven worthy-"

"Because he got to us quickly! If he hadn't, the clone would've bled out!"

Continuing as if Shiro hadn't interrupted, Prorok droned on, "And he shall endure all future administrations just as well. His handler acted out of spite and will be alerted of the outcome, no vital organs shall be targeted again."

What the actual fuc- quiznak? Keith frowned. What did he mean by... "Future administrations? You mean you're going to keep shooting at us?"

"Of course," Prorok snickered. "Quintessence cannot permanently boost your powers unless it is administered multiple times."

But when does it end? How many times is multiple? Keith wondered. How long did they have to fear the Galra gunmen stalking them? When he asked as much, the captive's smirk widened, tips of his bloodied fangs darting over his lips.

"Who do you come from, pretty one?" The random question startled Keith. Before he could even think of answering, the Galra followed up with, "You are more than a mere human, aren't you?"

He didn't appreciate Prorok's leering eyes or curious lilt. What did he mean by that exactly? Shaking the thought from his head, he shot back, "We _all_ are, thanks to your kind and 'Voltron.'" Turning to the others, Keith asked, "Can we take a break from the interrogation? I-I think we need to talk."

Just as Prorok opened his mouth to comment, Pidge sped forward and shoved the gag back in place. Ignoring the captive's dirty look, they motioned for their friends to head upstairs. Passing by the clones gathered around the table, Lance chortled at their total obliviousness to what had transpired; the foursome was seemingly enthralled with their card game. He turned to Keith to see if the other man appreciated the humor but, upon seeing his distant expression, took ahold of his hand and gave it a squeeze within his own. Keith met his eyes briefly and attempted a smile back, failing at that but compensating by entwining their fingers as they took the stairs.

Matt, the last to come upstairs, called to his four clothes in the living and instructed them to join the others in the basement. When the clones had cleared out, the group settled on the living room furniture. Pidge even shut off the TV and game system, removing any further distractions. However, it took them several minutes to actually start discussing as they'd intended.

Trust it to Lance, Keith thought, to break the silence; the other man sighed, "So Prodo and his gang officially suck."

Instead of ignoring or making fun of the other man like usual, Pidge nodded in agreement. Their expression turned serious when they said, "Maybe you should tell us about what you learned at Haggar's. The enhancement liquid is called quintessence, that much is obvious. But what was that about 'Voltron' being a tracking system?"

Realizing they hadn't had the chance to explain earlier, having gotten caught up in the excitement and panic after hearing of the speedster's prisoner, Keith replied, "I got a bartender there to talk; he didn't say a lot, but I did learn some useful things about 'Voltron.' It's a Galra machine designed to scan for and find a weapon actually called Voltron. I don't know what their parameters are for deeming who is worthy of getting an ability, but the combined energies of those of us affected are powering the tracking signals. Enhancing our abilities with that quintessence boosts our energy output and thus the signals. And when the Galra get Voltron, they're going to use it to conquer our world - probably others, too."

"In short, we're basically walking, talking batteries." Matt frowned. "What if we don't use our powers?"

"The machine will still draw off your energy; if you exist, it'll use you."

The other man released a hollow laugh. "Maybe I should just let my 'handler' shoot me next time. If they aim to kill like last time, at least it's one less battery out there."

Shiro grabbed Matt's forearm, his facial features pinched tight in pain. "Don't say that! Don't even think that!" At the other man's gasp, he lessened his grip and softened his tone. "You're not expendable, not to m- us. That shooter isn't getting anywhere near you ever again, not if I can help it."

Keith hated to break up their moment - Matt was blushing so hard he looked ready to swoon, and Shiro's eyes seemed to devour the smaller man up - but he had to point out: "But you might not be able to help it." The others stared at him, their expressions ranging from confused (Lance) to annoyed at the interruption (Shiro). Breaking eye contact with Shiro - wow, was he scary when he wanted to be - Keith clarified, "According to Prorok, we've all got at least one Galra gunman tailing us, if not more. Just because some of us haven't encountered ours yet doesn't mean they're not out there watching and waiting to shoot."

"Way to make a guy paranoid, mullet," Lance huffed. "Now I'm gonna have nightmares about one of those weirdos jumping me while I'm on the toilet or making a PB&J or something."

Pidge was smug when they retorted, "I'm so fast, mine probably gave up already. Maybe they've teamed up with Lance's Galra to double-tap him."

Lance shrieked so loudly it made Keith's ears ring. Ignoring the other man's wince, he flailed his arms and cried, "No one's tapping this booty but Keith... Maybe Shiro if he gets over sweaty palms over here," he jerked a thumb to a gaping Matt, "or Coran, because that ginger's a gorgeous man with an epic 'stache - ouch, Pidge!" Lance glared at the speedster, rubbing his arm where they punched him.

"Thanks for that," both Keith and Matt directed at Pidge.

The speedster rolled their eyes at Lance's mumbled complaints and, turning to face the others, said, "Back to the topic at hand: Those Galra are going to keep gunning for us until we've been hit with enough quintessence to be permanently enhanced. So, I have an idea," they paused, making sure they had everyone's attention, "We give them what they want - we administer the quintessence to ourselves, willingly, and they have no reason to shoot at us."

Keith didn't like that idea and said as much. "Then they'll find Voltron faster, and that weapon is clearly too dangerous, especially in the hands of a sadistic overlord like Zarkon."

"But what other choice do we have, Keith?" Pidge sounded frustrated. "Even if they don't aim to kill us, they still can and probably will. Not all of us can produce a clone to help us out like Matt. Is Hunk expected to patch up all our gunshot wounds? What about when he gets hit, like in the arm or hand? And don't forget, even without the enhancements, our powers are all dangerous to ourselves and those around us. If you supernova to the point where you deform spacetime, you could easily spawn a blackhole. Allura could become an uncontrollable smoke monster to rival the one on 'Lost' and asphyxiate every living thing on the planet. Shiro here might not be able to just read minds; what if he can eventually alter or force the thoughts of others? One bad power trip and he could cause brain damage, war, or even mass suicide. The rest of us have just as much capacity to lose control, too."

Shiro looked nauseous at the mention of his own fatal potential. When he responded, his voice was strained. "Wouldn't it be better then to just resist and risk getting killed by a poorly aimed bullet than willingly subject ourselves and risk killing, well, everyone else?"

"What I'm suggesting is we take small daily doses and build up a tolerance, of sorts, to its effects on our powers, specifically how and how much we can control them."

"That," Keith piped in, "is assuming that's even possible. Shiro, Allura, and I have had our powers for less time than you, Hunk, Lance, and even Coran, who's had it longer than anyone. We're still figuring out how to control our powers, all of us are, really. Shiro's right, we've got to avoid getting hit with quintessence."

The speedster scowled, clearly wanting to argue more; their sibling, however, stopped them. Matt tentatively raised a hand in the air. Does he think this is high school? Keith scoffed inwardly; he changed his attitude, however, when he realized the other man's move worked in garnering silence and attention.

Putting his arm back down to his lap, Matt asked, "I may be naive to suggest this, but why can't we ask Prorok about it? We'd have to convince him to supply us with the quintessence anyways. The Galra deliberately designed 'Voltron' to give select humans power. They may not know who got which power yet, but they might have general knowledge of how to control or stablize our abilities. We've got him here at our literal mercy - let's take advantage of that."

Keith knew Matt was smart, but he was impressed with his logic. Why not indeed? He mused. Prorok could be a valuable resource, if they could get him to talk. Speaking of talking... "Kind of off topic, but you guys said you caught Prorok last night, right? Had you questioned him before we got here? And if so, what did he tell you?"

"Yeah. We tried talking to him before but he wouldn't answer. The most he did was spit at Pidge." Ah, Keith thought, that explained the speedster's earlier threat.

Lance choked on laughter, shooting a nervous glance at Pidge no doubt in fear he'd get hit again. They, however, looked deep in thought. Standing, they announced to the group, "I'm gonna...run over to Hunk's and check on the others. I'll be back." Not waiting for a response, the speedster rushed off and out the door, their accompanying gust of wind slamming it shut behind them.

Shiro, Keith noticed, still had a hand on Matt, though it had slid at some point down from the other man's arm to cradle his delicate wrist. He directed to the smaller man, "How did you guys catch Prorok?"

"Oh, he was skulking outside of Javier's, probably looking for Keith. I," Matt looked away guiltily, "kind of hit him with my car." At the eruption of laughter from the others, he stammered on, "It was dark out, and I couldn't see too good even with glasses. I had on an older pair, the frame was real loose and when I had to look down they slipped off my face. I bent over real quick to fish them out from beneath my seat a-and..."

"SPLAT!" Lance howled and clapped his hands together loudly to mimic the sound effect. "I wish I'd seen Prolodork hit the windshield like the bugger he is. Matt, you are quiznaking awesome!"

Matt looked ready to protest but closed his mouth when Shiro leaned in, dimples in full effect as he smiled and whispered, "Yes, you are." The smaller man blushed and smiled softly in response.

Keith suddenly felt uncomfortable, like he was intruding on something...important going on between the duo. Without a word, he got up and walked over to where Lance was seated, tugging the clueless man up and pulling him out of the room. Ignoring Lance's complaints about how he 'was just getting comfy in that chair,' Keith glanced over their shoulders and, as he'd expected, saw Shiro and Matt only had eyes for eachother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I smiled the entire time I wrote this chapter... Too bad sh*t's about to hit the fan. @_@
> 
> (Seriously Shiro: What about Allura? Seriously Pidge: We all know you're not really going to Hunk's house. And seriously Lance: it's PROROK, for petesakes.) 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading this story! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments, kudos, bookmarks, etc. - you guys are the best. <3


	31. The Pidgenator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Pidge returns. The boys learn more about the Galra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late this time because of my own fault. I had to cover a late shift at the bar last night, couldn't keep my eyes open when I got home long enough to post. I apologize, I hope this is worth the wait! ^_^

Once in the kitchen, Lance took charge; pulling out of Keith's hold, he placed his hands on the other man's shoulders to steer him to the stools lined up at the island counter. With one final shove, Lance forced him to sit down. Keith was thankful Lance didn't linger, instead flitting to the refrigerator and opening its door to peer inside. Tendrils of heat crept up his neck as Keith felt a twitch within his jeans at the other man's show of strength, silently willing his body to calm down - _this is neither the time nor the place for that._

Lance, meanwhile, was unaware of his partner's internal struggle. After several moments, he pulled out a container of deli meat, a bag of shredded lettuce and carrots, and a jar of Japanese mayonnaise. Keith, now feeling more in control, watched as the other man demonstrated his intimate knowledge of this kitchen as he neither faltered nor failed to locate the sliced bread bag (lower cabinet to the far right), flat plates (upper cabinet left of the sink), and butter knife (drawer closest to the refrigerator). Deftly, Lance put together two identical sandwiches and, after placing each on a plate and slicing both diagonally, slid one in front of Keith before returning the ingredients to their proper places and placing the knife in the dishwasher. Keith waited until the other man was finished then, as Lance picked up his sandwich, took a bite from his own. A luscious, creamy swirl of spice with a hint of sour tickled his tastebuds - the mayo, he had to guess. Moaning in delight, he devoured the sandwich as quickly as possible. When he'd finished, he watched as Lance finished his at a much more reasonable pace.

"You're gonna regret that later," the other man chided between bites.

"Not possible. That was the best sandwich I've ever eaten."

Snorting, Lance popped the final piece of sandwich in his mouth and, after thoroughly chewing, replied, "That's just sad, mullet." Gathering the empty plates, he added them to the dishwasher. Turning back to Keith, he asked, "Should we wait until Pidge gets back before heading back down to question Promo?"

"Yes, and I know you know his name is Prorok."

"Eh, he's a crazy alien with a boner for my man; I'll call him whatever I darn well feel like."

Keith rolled his eyes. "He's trying to shoot me, Lance, not date me."

"Babe." Lance placed his elbows on the counter across from Keith and leaned in close, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I know my stunning good looks, dazzling wit, and enthusiastic approach to life can be a bit overwhelming, but don't let those blind you to the fact that I can be quite astute when it matters - and you, Keith, matter very much to me." Ignoring the other man's blush, he continued, "That creeper was interested in you as more than just target practice."

Prorok's 'pretty one' and 'more than a mere human' comments, the Galra's intense stares, all nagged at him. Yes, they were disconcerting but, Keith reasoned, those had to be intimidation tactics. Right? When he said as much to Lance, the other man frowned.

"Something about him doesn't sit right with me."

"I would hope not, he's one of who knows how many Galra trying to harm and use us, all in their quest to conquer our planet. There's nothing right about any of that."

Shrugging, Lance took both of Keith's hands in his own. "It goes beyond that, and I'm not just being jealous like I was at first over Shiro or that bartender dude. But if you don't think so, I won't push it." He lifted the other man's hands to place a gentle kiss on the knuckles of each, his eyes locked onto Keith's.

(Un?)fortunately, Matt waltzed into the kitchen. No, Keith realized, upon closer look it was probably a clone. Pulling his hands away, he cleared his throat and greeted, "H-hey. How's it going?"

The clone sighed and perched on the empty stool beside him, looking back and forth between the couple before answering, "Could be better. It's so boring watching 'goldeneyes' downstairs. I came up here hoping to find Pidge - they're so much fun to talk to - but it looks like they're not around."

"Yeah, they went to Hunk's. Should be back soon, though."

"I hope so."

A muffled yelp and thud caught both Keith and Lance's attention. "What the quiznak was that?" Lance muttered as he walked away to find the source of the noise.

"Number seven," the clone said offhandedly.

Keith shot the clone a questioning look. "Huh?"

"Number seven came upstairs right behind me, probably to drool over Shiro some more. Judging by the noise, I'd say he found him..."

With Matt, Keith realized. Eyes widening, he bolted from his seat and hurried to the living room, only to freeze a step beyond the threshold. Matt was straddling a squirming clone (no doubt the infamous number seven') on the floor and attempting to merge with it. Lance stood on the opposite side of the room, laughing so hard that he was red-faced and holding onto his midsection. Shiro was nowhere to be seen.

"Stay still, you little weasel!" Matt snarled. The clone let out an unintelligible wail and attempted to buck off its creator; however, the effort proved futile as Matt was finally able to get enough of a hold on the clone to pull him in. A minute later, the process was complete and now only one Matt remained, sinking to sit properly on the floor.

Lance was still hiccuping with laughter, so Keith looked to the other man. "Where'd Shiro go?" He instantly regretted his question when Matt's face fell.

"He went to Hunk's to meet up with his girlfriend." The 'g' word was said bitterly.

"Oh." Keith wasn't sure how else to respond to that. He was saved from further awkwardness by Lance, who seemed to regain his composure.

Crouching down next to the smaller man, Lance's voice was the gentlest Keith had ever heard it when he told Matt, "I don't want to mislead you, but I don't think that's going to be an issue much longer, if it ever was to begin with. Shiro mentioned something back on the plane about them not having a traditional involvement. It could be polyamorous or open, or maybe they're simply friends-with-benefits." Keith's eyebrows shot up in surprise, having thought the other man was too busy with rambling on the flight to even catch their conversation. Lance continued, attention focused solely on his friend, "He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to lead someone on. So if you want to pursue the attraction between you two, I'd suggest you talk to him, and Allura too if possible, to find out what the situation really is. Regardless of what that turns out to be, if you're cool with it, if it doesn't compromise what you value and need, then you can go ride on, I mean, off with your prince. If not, then you can move on but still take a moment to check out his perfect bubble-butt with the rest of us."

Disregarding that last (though true) comment, Keith felt a bloom of pride in his chest at how well Lance stepped in to comfort and support their friend. Pride and...something else.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, darkness had fallen and Keith was feeling beyond irritable. Seated between Matt and Lance on the sofa, he ignored the television playing in the background and looked to his left. Lance, sensing his eyes on him, turned to face Keith.

"Babe?" He asked after several minutes of silence.

"Pidge should've been back by now, don't you think? Have you heard from them or Hunk?"

The other man shifted, pulling his phone from the back pocket of his jeans. Pulling up his text messaging program, he flashed the 'no new messages' screen to Keith. Growling, Keith glanced at Matt to his right. Had he been in better spirits, he would've chuckled at how the other man slept sprawled out on his side of the sofa. Lance's hand on his chest, caressing him through the thin material of his tshirt, made Keith whip back round to face him; the other hand was cradling his phone close to his ear on the opposite side. With the sound from the television, he couldn't make out anything other than Lance's end of the conversation that transpired next.

"Hola Hunk, que pasa?" After a few moments. "Yeah, we're good, all things considered. Had to take a break from questioning that alien turd Proatoan - yeah dude, that's totally his name! - and now we're waiting for Pidgeon to return to the coop so we can continue. Keithy's getting antsy in his panties over here. They heading back or what?" Another pause. "What? Um, o-okay...I'll do that. Thanks, man."

When he finished the call, instead of telling Keith what he heard, the other man dialed another number and waited for the recipient to pick up. His voice betrayed his nervousness when he spoke: "Pidge, what the quiznak? Call me back ASAP." He'd just ended the call when Keith's (little) patience was at its end.

"What the heck is going on? Where's Pidge?"

Lance frowned, though he had yet to cease his gentle touches. "Not at Hunk's, he hasn't seen them since we all left earlier."

Keith, without warning, turned and shook Matt roughly. The other man flinched as his eyes flew open, confusion evident on his face at the rude awakening. "W-what the...?"

"Pidge lied to us," Keith stated without preamble. Lance face-palmed behind him.

Matt straightened his posture and groped for his phone between the cushions. Before he could even find it, the front door burst open as Pidge rushed in. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar blur and breeze; the speedster skidded to a halt then carefully closed the door behind them, shrugging a backpack off their shoulders and placing it on the floor. When they turned to face the others, Pidge blinked at their relieved (Matt), annoyed (Keith), and troubled (Lance) expressions.

"You three look cozy on the couch. Where's tall, dark, and dimpled? Don't tell me the clones got ahold of him, that seventh one's wily."

"He went to Hunk's - you know, where you were supposed to be," Lance sneered.

"Oh."

"Where were you?" Lance gestured to the other two. "I've had to deal with 'Moody-But-Sexy-Keifer' and 'Mc-Farts-In-His-Sleep' for hours. HOURS. Not to mention the clone wars going on downstairs, those buggers kept popping up here to creep on us and raid the fridge. Good news, though: unlucky number sleven has already been totally recalled. BTW, you're gonna need to go grocery shopping again -"

"Lance!" Keith hissed. "Stop babbling and let Pidge answer the freaking question." The other man pouted but remained silent.

Pidge grabbed the discarded backpack and carried it over, setting it down on the coffeetable in front of them. The speedster sat in the empty armchair and faced their friends and sibling. "While we were talking earlier, I started thinking about what Prorok said about Matt's Galra 'handler' and what you, Keith, mentioned about each of us probably having at least one Galra assigned to tail us. Since Prorok missed your leaving for the airport and went looking for you, I theorized the Galra handlers are not watching us 24/7. It made me wonder, though, if they were watching us now - so I decided to zoom around this neighborhood and Hunk's to see if I could spot any. And I did, there are three of them outside of Hunk's, well, were..." Pidge unzipped the backpack and pulled out three Galra guns, a big smile on their face. "I might not have been able to restrain them and drag them back here to join their buddy, but I did manage to, literally, trip them up and steal their guns."

Lance lifted his hand to high five the speedster, his voice filled with laughter as he praised them. "You are badass, Pidgenator."

Keith silently echoed the sentiment, annoyance clearing as he picked up each weapon to study them. He had to wonder though- "You've been gone for hours, did something else happen?"

The speedster's smile widened, eyes twinkling with mischief. "There's my conspiracy theory idol. Yes, while I had those Galra bamboozled I did a quick search to see what, if anything, else they were packing. Two of them had wallets, you guys - which makes sense since they're human-hybrids; some, if not all of them, must have covers in case people other than us encounter them down here. The one Galra male with no identification looked the most alien: blotches on his face and cheeks too purple to be bruises, eyes slanted sharper, nose more flat and cat-like, and teeth naturally extending past his lower lip. I don't even want to think about what he does if someone notices him." Taking a deep breath and letting it out, they continued, "The other male, allegedly 'Jordan Hugo,' looked like a typical emo kid, even had guyliner and lipstick on. His driver's license showed him with brown eyes, most likely contacts; people probably mistake his real eyes for contacts. And the third Galra was a female, who actually kinda looked like Keith save for the eyebrows and facial tattoo; her license was under the name 'Sina Hakashi' -"

He hated to interrupt but Keith had to asked, "The tattoo, what'd it look like? Did it curve down the side of her face, temple to jaw? Was it a geometric in pattern?"

Pidge adjusted their glasses, next words spoken with a thoughtful hum. "You've seen it before. At Haggar's?" He nodded. The speedster mumbled 'interesting' then, in their regular voice, continued, "I next headed to their addresses to snoop around. Jordan's was in San Diego, so I checked it out. Turned out to be a studio apartment, not much going on other than he has a serious Sephora addiction and has every Morrissey and The Smiths album ever. No Galra tech or spare guns/bullets in sight. I stopped by the zoo - because monkeys, guys! - then went to Sina's...which, inconveniently, happened to be in Hawaii. I can do many things, but running across water like The Flash or the next messiah isn't one of them; I ended up chartering a private plane to and from her freaking island, all expenses paid of course with the cash I found in the Galras' wallets and pockets. I couldn't find anything alien there, either. Interesting fact, though: Sina's a 'Yuri!!! on Ice' fangirl, she's got everything from the tshirts to even a poster of a half-naked Viktor above her bed. She didn't have a computer there to check, but I'm betting she's got a tumblr and an Ao3 account dedicated to it."

Matt looked confused. "So they're both...normal?"

"Other than the whole Galra hybrids trying to shoot us with magic drug-bullets to help them locate Voltron and take over the world? ...Yeah, pretty much. I do think they must have a base of operations nearby, or at least a weapons cache. Otherwise if they each only got one gun assigned to them, their boss is gonna be hella pissed."

Too bad they hadn't found a base of operations, Keith thought. Aloud, he said, "If you haven't already, we should let the others know what happened."

"Good idea. We should have them come over here. I can cajole some of the clones into cooking us dinner. Just gotta drop the name 'Shiro' and they'll hop to it."

"Speaking of, I-I'll text Sh-Shiro with the invite!" Matt blushed at his sibling's chuckles and hurried to the next room. Lance elbowed Keith and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, ignoring the other man's answering glare.

 

* * *

 

When the front door opened, Lance came running out of the kitchen with Keith trailing behind. Upon seeing Hunk, Lance dove into the other man's arms for a hug; Keith watched them with a raised eyebrow. Behind the hugging duo, Allura turned to Shay with a bemused, questioning look. Hunk's girlfriend gave her a small smile and a shrug, explaining, "It's a bro-mates thing." They stepped around them and followed the tantalizing scent of homemade pasta carbonara to the kitchen. Shiro and Coran were last to enter, the redhead taking one long look at Hunk and Lance before extending his arms and adding himself to the hug, cradling both of the younger men.

"Come on Shiro, Keith, join in the man love!" Coran crooned.

The other man flashed the trio a dimpled smile but resisted, stepping forward to clap Keith on the shoulder. "Hey Keith, where's M- I mean, Pidge?"

Before Keith could respond, Lance turned his head to shoot Shiro a look. "Dude, you seriously gonna bat those dreamy lashes at 'Sweaty Palms' while your lady friend is up in this place?" Hunk rolled his eyes while Coran's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Wait. I thought Shiro was dating Pidge's brother and Allura. Now Pidge, too? _Busy man._ But Pidge doesn't strike me as the sweaty palms type, then again I haven't had much contact with them yet." Not waiting for an answer, he craned his neck and called out towards the other room, "Pidge, you there? Can you come in here for a second? I wanna hold your hand!"

Hunk pulled away from Lance and the redhead, face-palming and silently walking past the others, not even acknowledging Pidge as they rushed past him. Lance took a big step back from Coran, no doubt to put himself out of the line of fire should Pidge strike. While Coran blathered on in the background, Keith tuned the others out and turned to Shiro.

"Lance does have a point, though, about Matt and Allura. I don't mean to pry, but, what's going on there?"

Shiro met his eyes, an amused look on his face. "I'm not two-timing Allura, if that's what you're thinking, nor am I leading Matt on. What ends up happening depends on what Matt has to say, I've already talked it out with her. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to him before saying anything further. Is he in the kitchen?"

"Yeah but," Keith dropped his voice, warning, "Clones one, three, and four are in there, too, and they will spazz out when they see you. Those three have been gushing nonstop about how sexy you are while cooking with, and I'm quoting them, 'burning hot, homo love for you.'" The other man's eyes widened before he burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I broke this chapter up because it was sooooooo long and I need to finish editing the second half. 
> 
> So next up: The part where sh*t hits the fan HARDCORE. #sorrynotsorryinadvance
> 
> Thank you for reading! *hugs* <3


	32. Ring Ring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith feels lucky...until he doesn't.

Dinner was a spirited affair, several conversations going on at once as bowls of pasta, vegetables, and homemade rolls were passed around the table. Keith purposefully kept his engagement to a minimum, preferring to indulge in the delicious food and observe his friends. The delightful sound of Allura's laughter at Coran's tales of his precocious youth, the tender look in Hunk's eyes as he watched Shay fuss over the clones, the joy on Matt's face whenever Shiro spoke, Pidge's wry interjections in Lance and Shiro's conversation, and Lance's...everything - it was all wonderfully overwhelming. Was this, he wondered, what family felt like? That, in itself, was a strange concept for Keith, who was better acquainted with loneliness: bouncing from foster home to foster home after his parents died, never really having close friends, shutting himself off to live like a hermit in the desert, and pursuing the supernatural even in the face of ridicule from those in his field. But here, in Pidge and Matt's kitchen, surrounded by this special group of people, Keith finally felt like he finally belonged somewhere, with some _one_.

Unfortunately by the time the plates were cleared, it was quite late into the night. Hunk was the first to suggest they postpone further questioning their Galra captive until the following morning. The others mostly agreed, though Keith and, to his surprise, Allura expressed concerns at the delay. After some back and forth, the two eventually relented when they realized how tired their respective partners were. Shiro invited Coran to stay at his apartment, thus negating Keith's excuse to give up Hunk's guest bedroom and transfer to Lance's house. Keith tried not to let his disappointment show as he waved Shiro, Coran, and Allura off. Soon he found himself exchanging goodbyes with Matt and Pidge, watching the others follow suit, and then piling into the backseat of Shay's jeep with a yawning Lance.

Once at Hunk and Shay's house, Keith grabbed Lance by the hand and led the other man to the guest bedroom. He bit his lower lip, in an attempt to hide his grin, as Lance immediately faceplanted on the bed, falling asleep on contact. After some struggle with pulling off the other man's sneakers, belt, and jeans, Keith stripped down to his boxers, made use of the bathroom to brush his teeth, and then joined Lance in bed. Curling into his partner's side, he smiled and let the warm press of skin lull him to sleep.

 

* * *

 

A persistent, shrill noise woke him up some hours later. His phone, Keith realized with a groan. Channeling his power, he illuminated his chest and arms just enough to be able to navigate his way around the room and track it down on the floor. Sparing a glance at Lance, he was pleased to see the other man hadn't been disturbed by either the noise or the light. Phone in hand, he willed the glow away and looked down at the screen, startling when he saw there were 10 missed calls, all from the same unknown number. So as not to wake Lance, Keith quietly exited the room and crept downstairs.

Without much thought to his state of (un)dress and the time of night, Keith headed straight to the kitchen, sliding the backdoor open and stepping onto the porch. It was still dark outside, only a few glimmering stars and grey clouds mottling the navy-black sky. Ignoring the goosebumps that covered his exposed chest and arms - it's from the breeze, he told himself - Keith selected the unknown number and clicked the 'call back' button.

Five rings later, and he was debating about hanging up when the call was answered. A muffled voice whispered, "Keith? Is that you?"

Was that Matt? It sounded like him. "Hey, yeah. Is everything okay?"

The sharp sound of the phone being jostled mixed with a loud crack and heavy footsteps before a reply came: "Not hardly - " Keith gasped at casually purred words, nearly dropping his phone when he recognized the new speaker "- _pretty one_."

How the heck did he get his number? But more importantly... "What have you done?" Prorok's answering chuckle spurred Keith's shock and fear to morphe into anger. Clenching his jaw, he hissed, "What have you done to Matt and Pidge, you bastard?!"

"Such harsh words, entirely unwarranted. The clone spawner and speedster are safe and still asleep within their home, unaware of my escape."

"H-how?"

"Did you truly think I wouldn't? I could have done so at any time. Those pitiful bindings and bumbling clones were no match for one such as me."

Oh no, Keith thought, dread washing over him. "Are they..."

"Destroyed." At Keith's sharp intake of breath, Prorok taunted, "Would you rather I had killed the clones _and_ your friends? I took great care tonight to avoid that; you should be thanking me."

The gall of the Galra shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. Thank him? Really? Keith growled, "You better run and pray we don't meet again. Because when we do? I'm gonna light _you_ up and watch you burn." Not caring to hear Prorok's response or further jibes, he hung up. Pulling up Pidge's number, he shot off a quick text message to them about what happened before shutting off his phone.

As if his body was on autopilot, Keith marched back inside and returned to the guest bedroom. He tossed his phone onto his pile of clothes and turned to the bed. Lance was still in the same spot as earlier, facial features smoothed in blissful slumber. Keith's hands trembled as he reached out to nudge the other man's shoulder, the warmth of Lance's skin barely registering through the panic and anger plaguing him. Lance let out a soft whine, brows furrowing before his eyes fluttered open.

"Babe?" Blinking away the last traces of sleep, Lance became aware of his partner's distressed tremors. His body tensed as he leaned up, taking ahold of the other man's hand and gently squeezing it. "Keith, what's wrong?"

The words tumbled from his mouth. "He got out. And he killed the clones, all of them." Thinking on the original speaker and the scuffle that followed his greeting, Keith choked back a sob. "I-I think he may have killed the last one while I was on the phone. Th-there was this awful crack, and then he was g-gone..."

Lance's grip on his hands tightened, voice hard when he asked, "He called you?! From where? When? What about PIdge and Matt?!"

Rushing to reassure his partner, Keith replied, "He said he left them alone. I texted Pidge right after I hung up on him."

"Do the others know?"

"N-no," his voice trailed off as Lance released his hands and jumped out of bed, pushing past him to walk out of the room with angry, heavy steps. Keith's own were softer, more hesitant, as he followed, watching Lance pause outside of what must've been Hunk and Shay's bedroom. When he did lift his hand to knock, Keith noted how it shook. What felt like several minutes passed, then the door opened to reveal a groggy Hunk. The tall man scratched his bare chest and yawned.

"Hey, what...?" Hunk's eyes widened as he took in his friends' troubled expressions. His next words were whispered but clearer, "What happened?"

To Keith's surprise, Lance's voice was calm despite his obvious upset as he replied, "Prorok escaped; he killed all the clones and called Keith to gloat. Keith texted Pidge to let them know; Prorok seemed to have left them and Matt alone after he got free."

Hunk cursed, looking back to the bed and lowering his voice when he realized Shay was still asleep. Motioning the others to step back, he joined them in the hall and quietly closed the bedroom door behind him. He let out an aggravated growl then said, "All right. Let's go downstairs and call Pidge, Shiro too if you haven't already. We gotta figure out what we're gonna do now."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIP this batch of Matt clones, you shall be missed. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3 *hugs*


	33. The AfterMatt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys chat with Pidge and find out how they're recovering from last night.
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: Brief description of clone corpses might make you squicky. Apologies!

Chamomile tea could do many things, but calming Lance wasn't one of them. It was obvious to Keith that a cocktail of fear, anger, and adrenaline coursed through the other man's body; not much different than what was going on in his own, though he liked to think he managed it better. Whereas Lance bounced in his seat and twice nearly knocked over the cup in front of him, Keith focused all his efforts on at least appearing relaxed and taking small sips from the tea Hunk thoughtfully prepared. After pouring his own drink and setting it on the table, Hunk darted into the next room quickly then returned with his iPad. A few taps to the screen later, he dialed up Pidge on FaceTime, adjusting the device's placement to show all three of them.

When Pidge answered, Keith was surprised to see the speedster was seated on the step of a wooden staircase. Their large-framed glasses were askew, bright light of the screen bouncing off the lenses to hide their eyes; however, he didn't need to see them to know Pidge's eyes were reddened from tiredness and crying, as the visible part of their cheeks was puffy and streaked with wet trails. Hair mussed (moreso than usual) and oversized 'Spidergwen' pajama set wrinkled, Keith would've teased Pidge for looking so adorably disheveled had the circumstances been any different.

"Hey," they greeted, sounding hoarse.

"Hey Pidge," Hunk replied, gentle voice and softened facial expression conveying his sympathy. Had the speedster been in the kitchen, Keith had no doubt the other man would've been hugging and coddling his petite friend.

"I," speedster paused to clear their throat, seeming to need the moment to formulate their words before continuing, "Uh thank you, for telling us right away. I think it would've been worse to find out in the m-morning. Keith, you said he called you?"

Keith shifted, uncomfortable at being put on the spot (and for not thinking to slip on a shirt earlier). "Yeah. I woke up to the phone ringing. When I checked it, I saw I had 10 missed calls from an unknown number. At first I thought it was Matt, but then I realized it must've been a clone after Prorok... He came on the line and told me what he'd done."

"What else did he tell you?"

"Just that he left you and Matt alone. We didn't talk long. I... sort of threatened him and hung up. I texted you immediately after and told Lance, then he told Hunk. We haven't called Shiro yet."

"No need - he's here." Pidge's mouth twitched, attempting a smirk but failing. "I knew I'd need help, with Matt and the, uh, Matts. The mess, moving them, it would've been too much for us to deal with alone."

Hunk cursed, frowning. "I knew I should've gone there straight away. I still can, Pidge."

"No!" The speedster grimaced. "It's better this way. You don't need to see this, guys. What Prorok did, i-it wasn't quick."

Keith, however, did need to see it, for the sake of his investigation. And no matter their grit, he couldn't leave Pidge, Matt, and Shiro to carry the burden alone; the more shoulders that weight was distributed on, the better their chances of coping with and overcoming it. Hunk and Lance exchanged uneasy looks when he said as much to their friend, but the two eventually nodded their agreement.

Silently, Pidge stood and took the few remaining steps until they reached the floor. It wasn't until the speedster moved to spin their tablet around that Keith realized those were the stairs to the basement, that Pidge had been calling from the...massacre sight. That was the only way Keith could describe it. If he hadn't known better, he might've thought his power was precognition similar to Coran's; a haphazard pile of clone corpses filled the screen, similar to the scene from his last nightmare. Thick, dark clots of drying blood and smeared _something_ coated the walls and floor, even speckling in sections up to the ceiling. The clones themselves were a mutilated mess, some with faces beaten beyond recognition, some missing limbs, some with eyes that - even through the screen - shone with their final moments of terror. The chair that once held Prorok had been broken, the end of one leg jabbed in one clone. Remnants of the jump rope and cord that restrained the Galra wound so around another clone's neck to strangulate. Keith could make out broken pieces of the small table and other chairs scattered on the floor, no doubt used in various ways to murder the others. The room itself seemed to vibrate still with the Galra's unleashed fury...

No, Keith realized, that was _him_. _He_ was shaking. Glancing away, he blinked back the tears (he hadn't realized were) pooling in his eyes and took a calming breath, barely registering Hunk's voice at his side or Lance's warm hand landing on his shoulder.

 

* * *

 

Keith groaned at the throbbing pain in his temples and snuggled deeper into his blanket, pressing his face harder into the pillow. When the pillow groaned back, his eyes snapped open and his body stiffened. Lance reached a hand up to stroke the other man's hair, yawning loudly and adjusting his body so Keith's head rested higher up his chest. Keith looked down, realizing he somehow acquired a shirt, then glanced around the living room, wondering how he'd gotten on the couch. Was Lance responsible for both? Last thing he remembered was sitting in the kitchen, FaceTiming with Pidge and being shown the aftermath of Prorok's escape...

"You fainted, babe," Lance supplied, somehow sensing where his partner's mind had gone. "Hunk and I caught you before you toppled off the chair. I figured you'd be comfier on this sofa than lying on the tiled floor."

"How long was I out?"

"Not very," he replied, tone noncommittal. "Hunk's making breakfast, if you're hungry. Otherwise we can stay here and cuddle for a little longer." As the words left his mouth, Keith picked up the scents of coffee and cinnamon French toast in the air. His stomach grumbled, providing all the answer both men needed. Lance helped him to his feet, placing a kiss atop the other man's head before clasping his hand and leading him into the kitchen.

Shay flashed them a sweet smile as she poured their coffee, handing each a mug and gesturing for them to sit at the table. Keith chose the chair across from Lance, meeting the other man's eyes over the rim of his cup as he lifted it to his lips. Shay joined them a moment later, taking the chair to Keith's right and sipping from a glass of orange juice. By the time Hunk had finished cooking and brought the platter of food over, Keith was ravenous. Piling a generous portion of French toast onto his plate, he dug right in with his knife and fork.

Hunk patiently waited until Keith had scraped the last forkful into his mouth before asking, "How are you feeling, buddy?"

"Full." He motioned to his empty plate. "That was incredible."

"Thanks."

Lance nudged Keith's calf under the table, causing the other man to look up at him in question. "I think he was asking more about your emotional well-being after, you know, earlier. You scared us, babe."

"I was," Hunk shrugged, "but I'm happy you like my cooking."

 _Oh_. Keith gulped down his coffee before replying, "I guess I wasn't expecting that level of...carnage. Prorok was so casual on the phone. He said he'd 'destroyed' the clones, but I never would've imagined like _that_."

"Why did he call you though?" The men turned to look at Shay, who continued, "To terrorize you? He didn't need to say a word to do that, his actions did it for him. It was a risk to call you; if that number still works and we can trace it, we might be able to track him down."

"I hadn't thought of that, yeah we can check on the number later. I don't know if he had other motivation for calling me; we didn't talk long, I got so angry that I threatened him and hung up."

"That probably just increased Probono's boner for you," Lance grumbled, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest.

Keith rolled his eyes then remembered - "You said his name correctly last night, when you told Hunk what happened." He snorted at the other man's fervent denial.

As Lance's voice tapered off, the distinct sound of front door slammed open and shut so quickly that the two sounds were nearly indistinguishable; Keith's head perked up at Pidge's arrival. The speedster skidded to a halt just short of crashing into the kitchen cabinets, their face pale but otherwise looking much improved from before. Fishing out their glasses from their trademark fannypack, Pidge greeted their friends and plopped down in the empty chair beside Hunk at the table. Keith blinked and gasped at the suddenly French toast-less platter in the center of the table, glancing at the speedster to see them wiping their mouth with a napkin, looking smug. Good thing I had my fill already, he mused.

"How're things on the homefront? Are Matt and Shiro on their way?" Lance asked.

"Looks less like a scene out of the movie 'Hostel,' especially now that the," they grimaced, looking nauseous for a moment, "remains are cleared out."

"Jeez, Pidge. What'd you guys do with those, anyways? Please don't tell me you chopped them up and tossed 'em in the ocean."

"No, this is real life, not an episode of 'Dexter.' Shiro and I snuck them into a funeral home and cremated them." Pidge pulled out their phone from their fannypack and pulled up a photo of a burnished metal jar. "I offered Shiro the urn - you know that would've been the clones' dying wish - but he looked uncomfortable. So I ended up hiding it in Matt's bedroom instead, I figure if he ever gets freaky with Shiro in there then the clones can at least have that."

Hunk coughed, looking uncomfortable himself. "Um, that's nice. But back to the funeral home thing: that was dangerous, you guys could've gotten caught. If they had cameras in there, we're screwed."

"You're forgetting two important things. One, I'm too fast to be caught on film. And two, even an ace like me can't deny Shiro is ridiculously good-looking. He was upstairs turning on the charm, distracting the guy that ran the place so I could do the deed." They snatched Lance's coffee cup and downed the contents, smirking at the his huff of indignation. "To answer your question, Matt and Shiro are still at our place. When I left, Matt was baking cookies and Shiro was passed out on the couch. I'm gonna head back soon because _chocolate chip cookies_."

Keith stared at the speedster, willing them to meet his eyes; again, he wished his power had been something cerebral. Pidge continued chatting with their friends, seeming to not notice Keith until they were getting ready to leave. They raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for the other man to say or do something.

Murmuring an excuse about needing to use the bathroom, Keith got up from the table and walked out of the room, heading for the stairs. He paused, however, at the foot to (hopefully) catch the speedster before they bolted. Pidge joined him a moment later, hands on their tiny hips and head cocked curiously.

"You have the subtlety of a rocket launcher, Keith. Lucky for you, Lance can be as obtuse as a triangle. Get it," the speedster snickered at their joke. A beat later, they said, "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you want to speak to me about something you don't want your boyfriend to hear. Is it about Prorok? Did something more happen on the phone with that psycho?" 

"Not exactly. I wanted to ask about the Galra weapons. Do you still have those, or did Prorok snatch them when he made his escape?"

Pidge frowned but answered, "I still have the guns, his too. Why?"

Relieved, he followed up with, "And the bullets?"

"...Why?" They eyed him wearily. "I don't know how effective those bullets are on Galra, unless you aim to kill. Have you ever fired a gun? I did once and nearly knocked myself out with the kickback. Then there's the problem of tracking Prorok down. You threatening him kind of gave the plan away, Keith. He seems like a smart guy, so he'll probably lay low and have someone else tail you for a while."

"No, it's not for him." Keith licked his lips, eyes pleading, "I want you to shoot _me_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading! <3 
> 
>  
> 
> Next up: Shiro and Matt finally have a talk, klangst, and more!


	34. To Risk It All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are made. Klangst begins. Minor Shatt.

Lance was the king of comical expressions but, Keith mused, Pidge was certainly proving a worthy contender to that title. The speedster's head leaned forward, eyes wide and eyebrows arched high. Their mouth dropped open, chin seeming to melt into the crease of their neck. Keith blinked at their reaction, realizing he should probably clarify.

"I want you to shoot me up." No, he mused, that wasn't good enough; if anything, Pidge looked more confused. Keith tried again, "What you proposed yesterday, about dosing ourselves daily with quintessence? I changed my mind, I want to do that."

That seemed to work, as Pidge's expression and body language slowly relaxed. "Oh..." They paused, humming thoughtfully. "This is because of Prorok, isn't it?" Without waiting for his answer, they said, "Even if I agree to help you - which I haven't yet - I can't shoot you. Inject you? That'd be more reasonable."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Yes, that's more what I meant. So will you help me?"

Pidge looked around nervously then suggested they take their discussion outside to avoid being caught by one of their friends. Making sure to slam the door open and shut like they normally do when exiting, the speedster motioned for Keith to follow them to the end of the driveway. They held up a hand for him to stop, and he watched as his friend sped away and back in the blink of an eye.

"Okay, this should be good. It won't look too suspicious if someone spots us from the windows, and they won't be able to eavesdrop unless they step outside. The area's Galra-free, too, so we're safe." Pidge lifted their hand to adjust their glasses. "Before I answer your question, I want to impress upon you: regardless of how the quintessence is administered or how much of it you take at a time, there'll always be a risk you'll lose control of your power -"

"I know."

Ignoring the interruption, they continued, "We also don't know how you'll respond to it over an extended period of time. The side effects could be negligible, manageable, or crippling -"

" _I know._ "

"You could die, or you could kill someone else." The speedster's voice grew somber. "I don't know if all Galra are monsters like Prorok, but I do think they need to be stopped; we can't let them get ahold of Voltron, whatever kind of weapon that actually is. To stop them, we have to master our powers and become stronger. But Keith, I don't want you to act rashly and regret taking the quintessence."

Crossing his arms over his chest and letting out an annoyed huff, Keith replied, "I can deal with the consequences."

"Even losing Lance?" At his hesitation, Pidge pressed on, "Whether you chose to include him or not in this, he will get hurt. You know he'll be furious if he finds out you took quintessence behind his back. And unless we can convince him to keep it secret, Shiro will absolutely rat us out the moment he reads it from one of our minds. Let's not forget what'll happen if/when you lose control of your power. If you are permanently damaged or die, Lance will never recover. If either of those end up happening to him..."

" _I'll_ never recover," Keith finished, shifting uncomfortably. He sighed. "So basically I'm screwed no matter what I do."

The speedster patted his shoulder, a sympathetic look on their face. "We all are, because we can't avoid the Galra forever; they'll keep gunning for us, and it's a very real possibility that they'll try drugging us via other means, too." Just when Keith felt ready to give up, Pidge went on to say, "Of course, we can't ignore what could be gained from us taking it. If we don't have any severe adverse reactions to the quintessence, and if we can better control our powers while on it, the others may be open to using it, too. We'll have a greater chance at defeating the Galra threat if we're all operating at full capacity."

Wait a minute, he paused. "...We? Us?"

"Obviously, I wouldn't let you take the risk alone. I think Coran might do it as well if we asked him; having a third person involved could be a big help."

"Or detriment!" Keith scowled. He wasn't entirely comfortable with Pidge taking it, let alone Coran or anyone else until they knew how it'd affect them. If someone had to sacrifice themself for the group, he reasoned, he was the perfect choice: his life was easiest to uproot, as he technically worked for himself since he was freelance, had minimum obligations/responsibilities in general, and had no (other) friends or family to miss him should something bad happen. When he said as much to Pidge, they looked like they wanted to argue. To his relief, though, they didn't.

"Fine, I won't ask Coran or anyone else, least not until they discover what we're doing. I'll also allow you a head-start, one week, before I staring taking it, too."

He didn't like it, but he suspected the speedster wouldn't help him at all if he pushed the point. Grudgingly, he agreed. "So you're helping me then?"

They winked, a small smile on their face as they responded, "Did you ever seriously think I wouldn't?"

 

* * *

 

After agreeing to begin the quintessence dosing tomorrow, their conversation tapered off. Pidge ended it by inviting Keith, and by extension Lance, to come over to their house. ("Because chocolate chip cookies!" they'd insisted.) Laughing, he'd agreed and, giving in to a sudden impulse, leaned in to briefly hug his friend goodbye. The speedster didn't comment on his awkward embrace, simply flashing him another smile before speeding off.

Keith walked up the driveway, feeling light despite the serious risk(s) he was soon to take. Maybe it's the prospect of cookies, he joked. Chuckling, he opened the front door and quietly shut it behind him. Keith could hear Lance, Shay, and Hunk still talking in the kitchen. Deciding not to disturb them, he headed upstairs for the guest bedroom.

Once there, he went straight to the bathroom to freshen up. Stripping off his shirt and tossing it behind him, Keith turned on the shower and then brushed his teeth while waiting for the water to warm up. He groaned when he finally stepped under the spray of water, relishing in the soothing feel of it flowing down his body. Taking his time, he shampooed his hair and thoroughly massaged his scalp, lightly scraping his nails through the delicate hairs and sensitive patch of skin at the nape of his neck. Keith allowed his fingers to linger there for a few moments before raking them down to his shoulders as he moved to rinse the product from his hair. When it came to soaping up and rinsing off his body, he wisely made quick work of the process; best not risk getting too excited in here, he reasoned. After shutting off the shower, Keith wrapped a large towel around his waist and used a smaller one to dry his hair as he returned to the bedroom. Half-expecting to see Lance on the bed, he swallowed his disappointment and rummaged through his backpack for a clean set of clothing. Lamenting his folly in packing light and not buying enough during his shopping excursion, Keith was stuck going without underwear until he could buy more or do laundry. Ignoring the pleasant tingle across his bare skin as he pulled a pair of black shorts over his buttocks, he fastened them loosely at the waist then hurriedly yanked on a black sleeveless top. Socks and boots on his feet, Keith made sure to slip his phone into his back pocket then left the room to find Lance.

The other man was in the living room, lying on his stomach across the sofa and, as Keith neared he realized, playing one of the Candy Crush sequels on his phone. Before he could call out a greeting, Lance, still looking down at the screen and tapping away furiously, moaned, "Mmm, you smell good, babe." Keith hesitated only a moment then, grinning, swatted the other man on his butt, delighting in Lance's yelp as his flinch forced his thumb to swipe right thus losing him the game.

Growling, Lance pushed himself off the couch and put his phone away. "You owe me, mullet. That was my last life and eighteenth attempt at level 84. I expect you to download the game if you haven't already and send me lives, pronto."

"Um, no. I don't play stupid games on my phone." Keith ignored Lance's outraged screech. "Pidge invited us over to hang with them, Shiro, and Matt. Wanna hang there?"

Nodding, Lance grabbed ahold of his hand and led the other man out the front door. Pulling the Keith into his arms, he leaned down to brush his lips against his ear. Amusement laced his voice when he whispered, "I was wondering what Pidgeon was squawking to you about out here." It took all of Keith's willpower not to show any outward reaction, remaining silent as his partner gave his waist an affectionate squeeze before propelling them up into the sky.

 

* * *

 

Pidge was sitting on the stoop and, upon spotting the couple, waved as Lance landed in their driveway. Pulling out his embrace, Keith smiled when one of the other man's hands remained on his waist, the tips of his long fingers teasing his hipbone through the fabric of his shorts. The speedster rolled their eyes at the duo but urged them to go inside, claiming they'd follow along shortly. Briefly, Keith wondered if they were sitting outside to avoid Shiro; ignoring the niggle of panic at being outed by the mindreader so soon, he followed Lance inside.

Keith's mouth watered at the scent of chocolate wafting from the kitchen, allowing his nose to lead him ahead. It wasn't until he reached the threshold that he realized Matt and Shiro, seated at the table with their backs to him, were distracted in deep discussion. Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes widened when he saw the wicked sparkle in Lance's blue eyes. Mutely, Keith watched as Lance brushed past him and silently sashayed into the room, sneaking up behind the other two men.

"...mutually beneficial, but we both agree we're ready to move on. She's interested in a guy at her work, and I'm interested in you. If you'll have me, I'd like to take you on a date." Shiro reached a hand out to rest atop one of Matt's.

"I-I want you too. For dating, and stuff. Yes," Matt blushed. "But, um, you probably already knew that. Mindreader and all."

Taking advantage of the opening, Lance loudly declared, "Nah, it was definitely the clones that gave you away. Those horny, awkward buggers are way obvious. Hey Shiro, do you realize what you're getting into with this one?" Whereas Matt nearly fell off his chair in response to the surprise intrusion, Shiro chuckled as Lance took a seat at the table. Catching sight of Keith behind him, Shiro motioned for him to join them as well.

He slid into the empty chair to Shiro's right. Ignoring Lance as he continued to taunt Matt at the other end of the table, Keith whispered to the other man, "So you and Matt are going for it?"

"We are," Shiro flashed a beaming smile. Turning to watch Matt squabble with Lance, he sighed and murmured absentmindedly, "He's something special, isn't he?"

Glancing across the table to catch Lance's face light up with glee as he shoved a cookie into the smaller man's mouth, Keith felt a twist in his gut. "Yeah, he really is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Klangst and more
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	35. Awkward and Maddening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little fluff and klangst before the storm.

Keith wasn't sure what deity he owed the actual thanks to, but he knew it had to be divine intervention that allowed him to survive the afternoon without Shiro picking up on his and Pidge's plans for the next morning. The entire affair was pleasant, the group bantering over Matt's delicious treats and video games; it provided them with a much-needed reprieve from the stressful aftermath of Prorok's escape. However, for Keith, that tiny twinge of guilt lingered, especially noticeable whenever he made eye contact with Lance. Could the other man tell? he wondered. Now that they were alone up in the skies, Keith nuzzled his face in the crook of Lance's neck in an attempt to hide any possible (physical) signs of his worry.

To both his relief and frustration, the other man seemed completely oblivious. The thin fabric of Keith's shirt did little to shield him from the sensation of Lance's fingers tracing circles along his lower back. Smiling at his partner's shiver in response, Lance crooned, "I think someone's ticklish."

"I think someone should focus more on flying and less on harassing me," Keith grumbled, embarrassed by how aroused the gentle touch was making him. It could prove problematic, he knew, given how close his body was pressed to the other man's. Don't get an erection, don't get an erection, he silently chanted.

Lance chuckled but stilled his hands. "Speaking of flying... You up for a little side adventure before going back to Hunk's? There's somewhere I'd like to take you, it's not far from here." It was simply curiosity - and absolutely not the happy, squishy feeling at spending more time alone with the other man - that had him nodding in acceptance.

The remainder of their flight was spent in silence, Keith turning his attention to admire the sights below. He still wasn't very familiar with the area, especially from up high, but he did recognize Hunk's house as they flew past it and veered right. Within minutes they were leaving the comfort of the suburbs and quaint strip malls behind, approaching a bustling city of flashy lights and even flashier buildings. As if sensing his partner's silent question, Lance murmured, "Welcome to West Hollywood," and shifted to descend.

When it became obvious the other man was going to land at the corner of a major intersection - with all those people walking up and down the sidewalk?! - Keith cried out and squirmed in his hold. Horrified, his protests were ignored as Lance did indeed touch down amidst the foot traffic. Seconds later, Keith gaped incredulously - the pedestrians, for whatever reason(s), paid them no attention and continued on their ways. Eyelid twitching, he allowed Lance to grab ahold of his hand and tug him into one of the buildings.

By the time Keith regained his wits, he had little chance to admire the Art Deco-designed lobby before he was being ushered inside an elevator. After Lance selected his floor (the third, Keith noted) and the elevator doors shut, he turned to his partner as they ascended. "You excited to see my place, babe?"

 _Of course_ he was excited. Not trusting his voice, Keith decided to convey the sentiment with a quick kiss to the other man's cheek. Lance winked and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, to which Keith rolled his eyes. Once the doors pinged and opened at the third floor, the couple walked down the hall, stopping when they reached the door to 3E. Releasing his hold on his partner's hand, Lance pulled out a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he motioned for the other man to enter first.

If you'd asked Keith before today what he thought Lance's apartment would look like, he'd have said colorful, messy, and cluttered; so it was a surprise when he stepped inside and discovered it was the exact opposite. What it lacked in size, the 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment made up for in its open concept floorplan, bright lighting, and high-end finishes. The kitchenette, though lacking in storage space, boasted marble counters and flooring as well as stainless steel appliances. Beyond that, the living room was decorated from top to bottom in variations of a pale cream shade, its only furniture a leather loveseat, glass coffeetable, and organized, tidy bookcase. The doors to both bedrooms and the bathroom were closed, so Keith was unable to check those out. He wondered, would those show signs of Lance's vibrant personality or would they turn out to be just as perfunctory as the main area?

The other man's next words pulled him from his thoughts. "Mi casa es su casa. Make yourself comfortable. You thirsty? I've got beer, milk, and water."

"I'm okay," Keith replied. Rather than taking a seat, he chose to take a closer look at Lance's bookcase. He was unfamiliar with most of the titles, but the few he recognized made him smirk; Lance, it turned out, was a fan of 'Pretty Little Liars' and the romance manga 'Ouran High School Host Club.' When Lance came over and thrust a bottle of beer at him, Keith sighed but accepted it and took a sip.

He nearly choked when the other man suddenly blurted, "So...wanna make out?"

Lance blushed profusely but he stood resolute, blue eyes fixed on his partner's pink, moist lips. Keith's first instinct, after he cleared his throat and put his drink down, was to tell him off; the second was to grab ahold of his shirt and yank him down for a hot, wet kiss.

In the end, he did both.

 

* * *

 

There was something to be said for kissing someone for hours, with no intention or move to take things further. Awkward and maddening erections aside, Keith reveled in all the desperate moans and squirms he drew from his partner. The reverent way Lance cradled his face, ran his fingers through his hair, sighed his name against his lips, pressed him up against first the bookcase and then the loveseat... Keith had never felt sexier or more powerful. Pulling back for the final time, he smiled at how wrecked Lance's mouth looked, lips reddened and swollen. I did that, he thought smugly.

When Lance stammered out an invite to spend the night there, it was with great reluctance that Keith turned him down. Now that he'd gained some (physical) distance from the other man, all those thoughts of tomorrow's experiment came rushing forward again. It'd be easier to sneak off in the morning, he knew, from Hunk's since it was closer to Pidge's townhouse. Also, Hunk and Shay tended not to track or fuss over his comings and goings; Lance would notice and, if he became suspicious, follow him. Biting back a groan, Keith realized that unless he wanted to tell the other man about the quintessence - and he didn't, least not yet - he couldn't even invite Lance to sleep over at Hunk's house. Using the excuse of 'feeling too tempted (by Lance),' he was able to convince the other man to drop him off back at Hunk's with little argument.

By the time he arrived at Hunk's house, Keith was eager to get away from Lance, not for any other reason than the guilt he felt for keeping his upcoming experiment a secret. With a quick kiss to the lips, he wished the other man a goodnight and scrambled inside the house. Given the late hour, Keith took care to make minimal noise as he crept upstairs to the guest bedroom, not wanting to disturb the sleeping homeowners.

Once in his room, he went straight for the bathroom. After brushing his teeth and splashing his face with cool water, Keith pulled off his shirt and, after a moment's hesitation, removed his shorts as well. Sleeping naked felt a little naughty but, he thought wryly, it felt oddly appropriate under the circumstances. Stepping back into the bedroom, he decided to pull a 'Lance,' faceplanting atop the sheets. He buried his face in the pillow and smiled when he realized it still smelled like the other man, the comforting scent lulling him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally planning to put out a darker chapter, but I could practically hear Lance screaming "I NEED SOME TIME WITH MY MAN BEFORE YOU UTTERLY RUIN OUR LIVES, OKAY?!"
> 
>  
> 
> So next up: Keith takes quintessence and tests his power, we encounter more Galra, and more! 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


	36. Got A Secret, Can You Keep It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge administers the first dose of quintessence to Keith, which produces interesting results. Klangst ensues when Lance can't get ahold of his man. And the group heads out to Javier's to show Coran a good time, but one of them gets more than he bargained for...

The next morning, Keith awoke (happily) excited for his upcoming experiment, attributing the positive feelings to a good night sleep. After giving the Lance-scented pillow one last snuggle, he hopped out of bed and headed into the bathroom. Deciding to forgo a shower, he wiped down his armpits with a damp cloth and spritzed on a new layer of deodorant. Checking out his hair in the mirror, he made use of a comb to untangle the strands then pulled it all into a small ponytail at his nape. A brush of the teeth and shave later, he gathered his stray clothes from the night before off the floor and returned to the bedroom. Since the room lacked a laundry hamper, Keith utilized one of the plastic bags from his Hot Topic shopping trip to store his worn clothing. Pulling on one of the new pairs of (black) skinny jeans and a grey tshirt, he completed the outfit with the fingerless leather gloves. Boots on and cellphone in hand, he deemed himself ready to go.

As it was a weekday, Hunk and Shay were gone, already having left for their respective jobs. Keith found a new note on the refrigerator, in Shay's distinctive flourished handwriting, informing him that there was a bowl of freshly-made fruit parfait in the fridge and he was welcome to as much of it as he'd like. Smiling at his friend's thoughtfulness, he dished out a generous helping and moaned in delight as he ate it up. Once full, Keith arranged for an uber and stepped outside to wait on the front stoop.

When he got to Pidge's townhouse, he was relieved to see Matt's car gone from the driveway, no doubt because the other man had work today, too. Pidge opened the front door before he could lift a hand to knock, silently inviting him inside with a sweep of the hand. Keith smirked and entered, waiting until his friend shut the door to greet, "Hey Pidge. So how are we doing this?"

"That depends. I acquired supplies to administer an injection or, if you're not a fan of needles, you can take it orally."

As curious as he was about what acquired entailed, he refrained from commenting. Instead, Keith made a face and replied, "I'll take an injection. I don't know about drinking that stuff. Didn't you do that once? I can't imagine it tasted good."

The speedster rolled their eyes. "Contrary to what Lance thought, I didn't drink it; I dabbed my pinky finger in it and touched it briefly to my tongue. Hardly even a lick really, but I will say the quintessence tasted no worse than cough medicine." Keith raised an eyebrow but didn't press the subject further. Pidge adjusted their glasses and murmured for him to follow them, leading their friend, to his surprise, down into the basement.

Had he not known about the clone massacre, he never would've guessed such a tragedy occurred because the room was spotless, albeit the air did carry a subtle hint of lemony disinfectant. A small, fold-up table was arranged against a wall with two chairs on opposite ends. Eyeing the familiar black backpack atop it, Keith took a seat; his eyes widened as Pidge unzipped the bag and pulled out four items: a syringe filled with what could only be quintessence, a package of cotton pads, a small bottle of alcohol, and a foot-long piece of rubber, bendy tubing. Pidge's lips twitched when they saw him squirm, but otherwise they moved with clinical precision, tying the tubing tight around his arm, soaking one of the cotton pads with alcohol and swiping it across the area where Keith's veins were prominent. Willing his body to calm down, he took a deep breath as his friend took up the needle and pierced the sterilized skin, injected the liquid directly into his vein.

In the blink of an eye, Pidge zoomed to the other side of the room; at his questioning look, they explained, "Just in case. But please, try not to deform spacetime or, worse, blow up my house."

Keith rolled his eyes, though he silently hoped he didn't explode, either. Sighing, he lamented they hadn't had the foresight to do this outside or in an abandoned building far from the populace. As he opened his mouth to say as much, Keith felt a tingling in his chest, spreading rapidly up his neck and across his shoulders. Ignoring Pidge's gasp, he shut his eyes against the pain that accompanied it. Recalling Shiro's mantra of patience yields focus, Keith took a deep breath and willed himself to remain calm. Shaking, he grimaced as the painful sensation reached his fingertips, toes, and began to creep up his cheeks.

No. Not caring if it disturbed his friend, he began to plead with his body aloud, "Don't do this. Don't do this. Stay in control. I am in control, dammit!" The searing pain grew excruciating, and Keith hiccuped a sob of fear and frustration. Fearful for his friend's safety, he cried out, "Run!"

What felt like hours later, Keith was a babbling mess. The torturous heat had yet to burst or recede, instead plateauing to leave him in a state of persistent, throbbing agony. But I'm still here! A voice in his head cried, in a pathetic attempt to cheer him up. He latched onto that thought, though, and prayed he could continue to endure for however long the quintessence affected him. It took him a moment to notice, through the haze of suffering, that something was speaking to him; no, not something - someone. Pidge. His eyes flew open and, to his horror, saw his friend standing in the same spot as before... Holding up their phone with one hand and, upon realizing he was aware, waved with the other.

"This is too awesome!" The speedster's voice was filled with wonder, a big smile on their face. Keith shot them a 'WTF' look - seriously Pidge? - then blinked as the pain (finally!) started to lessen. Glancing down, he realized what had delighted his friend; his whole body'd been glowing, brilliant and blinding like a star. Again, seriously Pidge? He shut his eyes and waited it out, losing track of however many minutes, possibly even hours, passed before he felt normal.

When he looked to Pidge again, Keith yelled, "Why the quiznak didn't you run? I could've exploded and killed you at any second! Did you seriously tape it? What the quiznak is wrong with you?!"

Instead of reacting with shame or anger, the speedster shrugged, clearly unmoved by his outrage. Not bothering to look up from their phone's screen as they tapped rapidly away, Pidge replied, "You're technically not in the clear yet, could still mess with you up to 24 hours later. Matt sprouted extra fingers and toes after your guys left that night, it was so gross. Want to see? I've got pics." Not waiting for his answer, Pidge zipped to his side and held up their phone. Keith scowled as he looked at the screen displaying a picture of a grinning Matt showing off what did indeed appear to be nine fingers on each hand and eight toes on each foot. Had he been in a better mood, he might've chuckled at the ridiculousness of it; instead he pushed the phone away and shooed Pidge back.

"You have to delete that - and anything you took of me."

"No," Pidge snorted, "that death glare may intimidate others and turn on Lance, but it does nothing for me so just knock it off, Keith." The speedster adjusted their glasses, continuing matter-of-factly, "At least until we've mastered our abilities, it's important to understand how the quintessence affects us; these aren't for my amusement, they're for research sake." They suddenly smiled brightly, "Though that is an added benefit. Only Lance witnessed your full-blown supernova, and I haven't seen your power in action before so I can't compare. But I must say, your light show is quite fascinating! Did you know it even reaches your eyes? Your irises looked yellow with all that glow."

Keith rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Next time, we're doing this outdoors - and you are not recording it, or taking pictures. Got it?" The speedster pouted but acquiesced, much to his relief.

 

* * *

 

By the time they deemed it safe enough to go upstairs, Keith realized he had several missed texts from Lance. While Pidge ordered them pizza, he sat down at the kitchen table and scrolled through the messages.

Lance [9:59AM]: 'mornin' babe'  
Lance [10:01AM]: 'whats up? know what was last night? me ;)'  
Lance [10:15AM]: 'sorry that was prob 2 much :-X'  
Lance [10:35AM]: 'for realsies whats up?'  
Lance [11:10AM]: 'u sleepin in?'  
Lance [11:20AM]: 'how bout i bring u some breakfast?'  
Lance [12:40PM]: 'srsly wtf why u not answering? u that mad? i said I was sorry'  
Lance [1:00PM]: 'coming over'  
Lance [1:29PM]: 'wtf u left? i'll wait'  
Lance [2:30PM]: 'srly where r u?'  
Lance [3:00PM]: 'u not wit shiro i checked where r u?'  
Lance [3:40PM]: 'come back i'll go if u no wanna see me'  
Lance [3:58PM]: 'pls b ok'

Initially annoyed with the barrage, Keith's expression softened as he reread the last message, sent only minutes ago. Before he could talk himself out of it, he hit the 'call back' button; when Lance answered on the fourth ring, he sounded breathless.

"Keith!"

"Uh, hi." Clearing his throat nervously, he asked, "H-how's it going?"

Lance's exasperation was palpable when he answered, "How's it going? I dunno, I spent all day panicking that my boyfriend was either pissed at me or shot up by those Galra bozos and left to bleed out in a ditch somewhere. But how was your day dear, hmm?!"

Debating about how to respond, Keith settled for: "I'm at Pidge's. We're getting pizza." He winced when Lance hung up. Putting his phone away, he turned to Pidge and found them watching him, a gleeful glint in their eyes.

"Guess I better set a plate for loverboy." They pulled out three dishes from the cabinet and brought them to the table, setting one in front of Keith and the other two at the chairs on either side of him.

Sure enough, not five minutes later, the front door slammed open and shut, marking Lance's arrival. The lanky man's movements were choppy with anger, but his normally animated face was devoid of emotion as he stomped into the kitchen. Wordlessly, he plunked down in the seat to Keith's right. Keith braced himself for a tirade but, it seemed, the other man had no intention of doing so; in fact, he remained silent before, during, and even after the speedster zoomed off to pick up their food. Upon returning, Pidge shot the awkward couple a look as they placed both pizza boxes in the center of the table.

Thankful for the distraction, Keith grabbed a slice of the pepperoni and stuffed as much of it as he could fit into his mouth, chewing (not without some struggle). Lance took a piece of the plain but ate it in slow, dainty nibbles. Pidge practically inhaled their slice, already reaching for seconds and thirds before the other two had finished their firsts. Eventually the speedster grew weary of the tension; to Lance, they asked, "Do you have any plans for tonight? I was thinking we should show Coran around, maybe take him to Javier's. I'm kind of curious to know which username is his on the 'Voltron' high score list. Plus, you know, churros."

Lance blinked, hesitating only a moment before saying in a (nearly) normal voice, "That's a good idea. I'll text him."

Keith hummed thoughtfully as the other man pulled out his phone. "I didn't know you had his number."

Not bothering to glance up, Lance sneered, "Some of us are thoughtful enough to get that kind of information from their friends. You know, real useful should something happen."

Pidge face-palmed, placing their hand so it didn't hinder their mouth as they continued eating and speaking. "Is this gonna be a thing? Because if so, you can both spend the night locked in my basement while the rest of us adults go out."

Both Keith and Lance snorted simultaneously. The latter replied, "You're barely an adult, Pidgeon." Keith glanced between Pidge and Lance as they began to banter, his eyes finally resting on Lance's face as the other man burst out laughing at one of his own jokes.

 

* * *

 

To Keith's surprise, Lance offered to fly him to and from Javier's when they made ready to depart later that evening. Though they'd eventually spoken while eating dinner, their exchange had been minimal and, in Keith's mind, mostly for Pidge's benefit. Still, he didn't refuse Lance's offer and embraced the other man like usual before they ascended into the sky.

Expecting Lance to stonewall him, Keith startled when he commented, "It's a nice night, no?"

"Um," Keith glanced around; it looked like any other night, but he murmured an agreement.

Lance's arms tightened around him briefly, in an affectionate squeeze. The other man tilted his head down to whisper, "I'm not angry at you, not really. Disappointed that you didn't text me sooner? Absolutely. But I'm also happy you're okay, I'd rather that than you really be in trouble."

 _Oh._ Keith flushed at the sincerity in Lance's voice and the tickle of his breath against his sensitive skin. Not trusting himself to speak, he nuzzled his face against the other man's neck and gave his tiny waist a squeeze back, hoping that would convey his apology; when he heard Lance's happy sigh and felt the man's chin rest against his head, he figured it had. The silence that fell over the two for the remainder of their short flight was a comfortable one.

As Lance shifted to descend, Keith turned his head to look down. Javier's parking lot was mostly full, indicating the bar was busy. Fortunately, the only person standing outside was Shiro, who was leaning against his motorcycle, clearly waiting for their arrival. Once they touched down a few feet away, he straightened and approached the duo with a dimpled smile on his face.

"Hey Keith, Lance. Everyone else is already inside."

Keith stepped out of Lance's arm, turning to walk beside Shiro as the other man motioned them to follow. Curiously, he asked, "Everyone? Did Allura come, too?" Knowing the two had broken up - or, at least that's what it sounded like based off the snippet of conversation he'd caught yesterday - Keith wondered if the silver-blonde would continue hanging with their group given Shiro's interest in Matt. Being okay with a breakup and being okay with seeing your ex fawn over someone else were two entirely different things.

Shiro didn't appear bothered by the question, least not outright; he continued to smile and answered, "She's still at work, but she might stop by later if she's not too tired." Erring on the side of caution, Keith dropped the topic as they opened the door to the bar and stepped inside.

It was busy tonight; Keith had to stand on tiptoes to spot their other friends by the 'Voltron' machine. Lance, noting his hesitation, grabbed ahold of his hand, gave it a squeeze, and led him through the crowd, Shiro close behind them. Hunk, Shay, and Matt were sitting at the table closest to the machine, a pitcher of beer and serving of churros in the center. The three smiled in greeting, Matt's beaming brighter as he patted the empty seat beside him in invitation to Shiro. Chuckling, Shiro sat there and slung an arm over the smaller man's shoulders. Coran and Pidge had their backs to the group, focused on 'Voltron.' Keith stepped forward, relinquishing his hold on Lance's hand, and peered over the redhead's shoulder to see what they were up to; Coran was playing, losing actually, in a battle against a Galra warship, huffing between bites of the churros Pidge stuffed in his mouth. The speedster was the first to notice his arrival, startling and pausing with a churro midair.

"Hurry, I need my brain food!" Coran whined, dropping his mouth open wider but otherwise keeping his eyes glued to the screen as he anxiously jabbed buttons. He grunted when he got his wish, Pidge harshly shoving the piece in. As he chomped noisily, he finally realized Keith's presence at his other side. Voice muffled and spitting out chunks of the fried good, he greeted, "Evening Keith! Just in time for my epic victory!"

More like epic failure, Keith thought, chuckling as the redhead's ship was shot down by the Galra. Shrieking in outrage at the 'GAME OVER - YOU LOSE' screen that popped up, Coran dug through his pockets in search of another coin to play again, ignoring Pidge's manic laughter beside him. Feeling generous, Keith offered up one from his own and inserted it into the machine for the other man. Waving off Coran's praise (" _you are a good man, you mulleted beauty_!"), he turned and headed for the bar, intent on getting a drink. Watered down beer might be acceptable to the others, but Keith refused to suffer it again.

"Ugh," he grumbled upon seeing both Rolo and Nyma working behind the bar. Nyma, he reasoned, was the lesser of the evils; her flirty comments towards Lance seemed more sardonic than sincere, and, as far as he knew, she hadn't been participated in the infamous body shot incident. Just thinking of it made Keith scowl - he _wasn't_ jealous - and he elbowed his way to one of the empty stools with more force than probably necessary. His sour mood only increased when Rolo, not Nyma, sidled over.

The shaggy blonde leaned in and smiled, revealing a gold tooth on the side Keith hadn't noticed last time they'd spoken. His breath smelled like cigarettes when he asked, "What can I get you tonight?"

"Vodka tonic."

"You sure?" Rolo's eyes twinkled merrily, smile widening. "No tequila shots for you and Lance? I know he loves those."

If he clenched his jaw any tighter, Keith worried he'd break one of his teeth. Sharply, he replied, "Just the vodka tonic." The bartender's mocking laughter grated on his nerves, spurring him to look away as Rolo started to prepare his drink.

Keith let his gaze roam aimlessly over the crowd, seeing but not really paying attention to the other patrons... That is, until he spotted two men watching him curiously from the other end of the bar. No, not men - Galra. Both sported the trademark golden eyes, pale skin, and dark attire, but that's where their similarities ended. Whereas one was tall, broad, and muscular, the other was nearly as petite as Pidge, his features androgynous. (Maybe he's not a male at all, Keith mused.) The smaller Galra's face betrayed no emotion, but the larger one looked positively giddy at catching his attention. He polished off his drink and had the gall to lift his left hand to his temple in a mock salute; Keith noted the Galra's arm was prosthetic, the design looking bulkier than what he'd seen of Shiro's.

The sound of Rolo placing his drink down on the bar behind him snapped Keith from his thoughts, and he couldn't have been more thankful. Keeping one eye on the Galra, he placed money on the bartop and picked up his drink. Downing it in one gulp, he slammed the glass back down then stood up. Liquored courage - and maybe the remnant high of the quintessence - convinced him what to do next: Keith smirked and made his way over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out different than I'd intended- originally there was going to be more Coran, and that end... Keith was all like "PFFT, NO I'M NOT RUNNING AWAY, I GOT THIS." So yeah. *_^
> 
> I had an awful day yesterday, got some incredibly bad news and was just an emotional mess. Writing this was what kept me sane, I hope it turned out good for you all. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and for your continued support! <3


	37. Pretty Reckless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith gets a little help from a friend, and he also gets a stern talking to.

If the Galra were concerned with his approach, they didn't show it; the smaller one looked at him with the kind of neutral curiosity befitting of a stranger, and the larger's eyes gleamed wickedly. Keith, meanwhile, felt his resolve wane the closer he got, nearly depleted when he finally stood before the duo. To an outside observer, he probably looked like a nervous suitor come to flirt with the - he hated to admit it - attractive pair, as he awkwardly shifted his weight and twiddled his fingers hanging at his sides.

What now? He scolded himself for coming over here with no plan. Wait, he had a plan, hadn't he? _Think, Keith, think._

Mustering up what little courage remained, he scowled and forced scorn into his voice as he said in lieu of a greeting, "You guys are scarier when you're sticking to the shadows. Showing your faces in here? You must be getting desperate."

Instead of angering either Galra, his snide remarks only seemed to amuse them both. The taller one chuckled darkly, while the smaller one's lips twitched in a hint of a smile. It was the latter that chose to respond, his voice surprisingly deep for someone so dainty: "Pretty, but not very smart. A pity, Prorok overestimated you."

At the mention of Prorok, Keith's eyes narrowed, his scowl intensifying. "You're the ones that aren't very smart. You can go tell that slimy bastard you work for that I'm -" The small Galra's sudden bark of laughter was so loud that it rattled Keith into silence.

As if sensing his confusion, the larger Galra's smile and tone were condescending as he explained, "If you speak of Prorok: he was nothing more than an insolent, incompetent waste. If you dare speak of Emperor Zarkon: I would suggest you hold your tongue, lest it be cut out from your blasphemous mouth."

Keith's cheeks heated, flustered at the threat. Floundering for a response, he jumped when a heavy hand clapped his shoulder; turning his head, he gaped at Shiro, whose dimpled smile played at odds with the hardened eyes leveled solely at the Galra.

"I was wondering what was keeping you, Keith. Let's leave these...gentlemen...to their business and rejoin our friends," Shiro's voice, though pleasant, left no room for argument. Clearly unfazed by the murderous glare the larger Galra shot him, he squeezed Keith's shoulder then turned them both around to head back to their table. When they were out of earshot of the Galra, Shiro leaned down to whisper tightly, "That _wasn't_ very smart. After we get our friends the hell out of here, you and I are going to talk." Keith didn't have to be a mindreader to know that actually translated to 'I will lecture and you will listen.' Groaning, he didn't resist as the other man nudged him to walk faster.

Hunk, Shay, and Matt seemed oblivious to what had transpired at the bar, their visibility blocked by the crowd. Keith pulled away from Shiro's hold and stepped up to Lance, who was now taking a turn at playing 'Voltron' while a moping Coran and cheery Pidge watched on. To Keith's delight, Lance didn't flinch or otherwise startle as he wrapped his arms around his midsection; the other man let out a happy noise but remained focused on his blue paladin's one-on-one battle against a heavily armored Galra warrior referred to as 'Sendak.' Keith's brow furrowed as he took a closer look at Lance's opponent, finding something eerily familiar about the character's prosthetic arm... Twisting his neck sharply to glance towards the bar, he tried but failed to spot the large Galra from earlier. Still frowning, he turned back to watch Lance's gameplay. Maybe, he reasoned, it wasn't so strange to see the Galra's likeness depicted in the game; maybe they were all in there, and no one had picked up on it yet because they'd seen so few in real life to compare.

Lance and Pidge's cries of joy shook him from his thoughts. Keith looked at the screen and saw his partner had beaten the game, achieving a score high enough to earn him a spot in the top five (#5 to be exact, pushing Hunk down to sixth). Snickering, Lance entered in 'KeithysBabyDaddy' as his username, eliciting a haughty huff from Keith behind him.

Pidge, staring intently at the remainder of the high scores, turned to Coran and asked, "So which one's you?" The redhead proudly pointed to number nine on the list, username 'CHWS.' Before anyone could ask, he lifted a hand to twirl one end of his mustache and boasted, "Coran Heironymus Wimbleton Smythe."

"Dude, that's the greatest name I've ever heard! You okay with me and the future mister naming our babies after you - OUCH!" Lance squealed at Keith's sharp poke to his side, squirming away and hiding behind Pidge as if to use the speedster as a human shield.

Ignoring Lance's indignant expression, Keith glanced to Shiro at the table and, exchanging a look and nod, addressed the group, "It's becoming really crowded and loud in here. How about we head out to somewhere else?"

As he'd hoped, Hunk suggested they go to his and Shay's house. The others agreed and, after some effort, managed to weave their ways through the crowd and exit the building. Pidge sped ahead as usual, leaving the remaining friends to divvy up who'd be traveling with whom. Rather than flying back, Keith and Lance caught a ride with Matt, both giggling over their friend's 'grandma' style of driving and wistful looks cast at Shiro riding off on his motorcycle solo. Coran in turn ended up going with Hunk and Shay, the three chatting away happily about Polynesian cuisine as they pulled out of Javier's parking lot. When they got to the house, Matt informed everyone that he texted Allura about their change in venue and reissued an invite to join them if she was feeling up to it after work. Hearing that, Keith began to rethink his previous concerns about the Shiro-Allura-Matt dynamic(s).

Hunk's offer to cook up a big dinner was met with unanimous 'yays.' Shay and Matt volunteered to be his sous chefs, and Pidge and Coran volunteered to be their 'official audience,' situating themselves at the kitchen table to watch the trio work. Lance located a bottle of wine and, grabbing some glasses, settled down beside Coran. Keith, hoping to avoid Shiro, tried to sneak past the other man and take up the empty seat beside Pidge; unfortunately, Shiro proved too quick and slung an arm over his shoulder, excusing them from the group and leading him outside.

Once the backdoor was slid shut behind them, Shiro pushed Keith against the side of the house, out-of-sight of the kitchen windows. Boxing the shorter man in between his arms, he leaned forward and kept his voice low when he spoke. "What was that back there at the bar? How did you even come to be talking to those Galra? Did they pull you aside or something?"

Keith crossed his arms over his chest, both to convey his annoyance and force some distance with the other man. "I started it, okay? I was just so angry, seeing them drinking at the bar like they were everyday people."

Instead of placating Shiro, that only seemed to irritate him further. Letting out a drawn out sigh of frustration, he said, "I can't believe you'd be so reckless! Keith, I don't know what the hell you were thinking to accomplish by doing that - _literally_. Standing near the Galra seemed to mask your mind, I couldn't pick up on you. If I hadn't lucked out and spotted you on my way to the bathroom, I would've had no idea of the danger you were in."

Had he been in danger though? Considering the public location, Keith wasn't so certain. When he said as much to Shiro, it only agitated the other man further. "You think that would stop them? If those Galra wanted to kill you, they would've. You saw the clones, didn't you? You saw the aftermath, but you didn't see what had happened - I did. After Pidge called me and I rushed over there, I was the first to examine the bodies; one of the clones was nearly dead but still breathing, long enough for me to read his mind. I saw exactly how Prorok butchered and brutalized each of them. Those images have haunted me ever since. I never want anything like that to happen again, and I won't let it, not to any of you."

Knowing it'd only escalate the situation, Keith refrained from rolling his eyes. He didn't want to mock the other man's confession, but he also didn't need a protector; Keith Kogane could look out for himself, had been looking out for himself, for most of his life. This business with the Galra was no different, he reasoned. Still, he chose to circle back to a previous comment. "When we were at Haggar's, did you have any trouble reading our minds when we were around the bartender or other staff? Maybe that's a side effect of whatever mental shield ability their race possess."

Shiro took a moment to think back. "No, you guys were as easy to read as ever." After a beat, he continued wearily, "I'm still picking up static from you. Did you drink anything tonight?"

It took Keith a moment to realize what his friend was implying; when he did, he huffed. "I wasn't roofied, Shiro. Rolo poured my drink, and I chugged it down once he put it in front of me. No opportunity for anyone to mess with it." Unless Rolo did... Nah, he thought. Maybe, he wondered, was the mind shield related to his quintessence dose earlier? Given how little they knew about the substance, it could've easily been a side effect or adverse reaction when combined with the alcohol he consumed. Unfortunately, he realized, he couldn't very well ask Shiro if he could read Pidge or Matt's minds when they were on quintessence because that would out his own use, and Keith had no desire to share with the group just yet. Before Shiro could prod him further, he warned, "If we hang out here too long, someone will get suspicious. Look, it's most likely a side effect of being so close to the Galra while they shielded from you or part of some secret, magic ability their kind can inflict on others. For now, ignore whatever static you're picking up from me; tomorrow, you can test to see if it's worn off or not. Okay?"

The other man didn't look happy, but he eventually relented. Sliding open the door for Keith, Shiro gestured for him to go inside first then followed behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith managed to escape the Galra unscathed, but this is definitely not the last he or anyone else has seen of those two. [*whistles innocently*] ;) 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	38. Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klangst. Keith gets a second dose of quintessence and tries to push his power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working extra, longer shifts at the bar to cover for a sick coworker is slowly killing me - but writing this story is not! Sorry for the delay, please enjoy! ^_^

With hindsight, Keith should've known better than to drink wine with dinner; correction: he shouldn't have drank so much. Already buzzed from the vodka tonic and run-in with the Galra, the addition of wine left him feeling - to his later, sobered mortification - uninhibited. In particular, uninhibited when it came to Lance. After the meal was finished, he allowed himself to be dragged outside by the other man. Unlike earlier with Shiro, he relished in the sensation of Lance boxing him in against the side of the house, eagerly tilting his head back to accept his sloppy, heated kisses.

"Díos," Lance sighed between breaths, and Keith silently echoed the sentiment as he raked his fingers through the thick, coarse-textured hair at the nape of his partner's neck.

As with all of their kissing/makeout encounters, both men tried to keep their pelvises angled away from one another so as not to escalate things. It was hard though - he was already hard - to resist the temptation to rub on and get off on Lance. But even as the other man made his toes curl with every thrust of tongue and brush of lips, Keith clung to his resolve to wait.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Keith took a moment to study his partner's face. Flushed cheeks, blue irises overwhelmed by blown pupils, lips glistening - Lance painted one heck of a pretty picture. He didn't realize he'd said the compliment aloud until he heard the other man's fervent groan, "You're the pretty one, babe. Quiznak, if you could see yourself." Leaning in to whisper against Keith's sensitive earlobe, Lance pleaded, "Ask me to stay the night. Please. Ask me to kiss you raw and hold you close all night."

He wanted to, god did Keith want to; however, even in the throes of desire, he knew he wouldn't. His mornings now were devoted to taking quintessence and, starting tomorrow, testing his newly enhanced power. And as such, he couldn't risk Lance finding out just yet. So with regret, Keith placed a shaky hand on his partner's chest and pushed him away. His heart ached at the flash of wide-eyed pain on the other man's face before it melted into blank acceptance. Nodding in acknowledgement, Lance murmured a 'goodnight babe' then propelled himself into the sky.

Ignoring the curious looks from their friends as he reentered the house, Keith trudged upstairs to the guest bedroom. Once inside, he made quick work of removing his clothing and flopped down on the bed. To his dismay, the pillow that carried Lance's scent was bereft now. Just like him, Keith thought bitterly as he punched said pillow and scrunched his eyes shut.

 

* * *

 

Waking this morning was a stark contrast to the day's prior. After a tossing, turning, fitful night of little sleep, Keith had already deemed it a 'frack you' kind of day. Grumbling, he flipped his middle finger at the window filtering in the bright, sunny rays and stumbled out of bed to go to the bathroom. Impatience fueled him as he made quick work of showering, not bothering to adjust the temperature and not caring that the near-frigid water made his bones ache. A furiously fast brush of the teeth later, he decided to skip shaving but did have the sense to run a wide-toothed comb through his hair then returned to the bedroom. Pulling on the first pieces he fished out of his backpack - black leggings and a dark purple tank top - he completed the look with his fingerless gloves, red cropped leather jacket, and boots. Cellphone in hand, he trod downstairs to the kitchen.

No cute notes awaited him on the fridge, not that he cared (or so he told himself). However, when he opened the fridge to scrounge for something to eat, Keith did find a plastic wrap-covered plate of scrambled eggs and home fries. Okay, he thought after heating up the food in the microwave and digging in, that might've improved his mood a teensy bit. Belly full, he arranged for an Uber to pick him up again and headed out the front door.

Tuning out the chatter of the chipper driver, Keith slouched in the backseat and stared out the window. Upon reaching Pidge's townhouse, he ignored the driver's friendly farewell and bolted from the car, jogging up the driveway and, without pause, rushing inside, slamming the front door shut behind him. Keith found Pidge in the living room, the speedster dressed in a 'Teen Titans' pajama set and cradling a glass of what looked like tomato juice.

"Hey," he greeted, wincing internally at how flat his voice sounded.

Instead of chiding or teasing him as he'd expected, Pidge replied, "Morning. Remind me never to drink wine again - I'll return the favor." The speedster took a sip from their drink, grimacing at the taste. Setting the glass down on the coffeetable, they stood and stretched their tiny arms above their head. "Do you still want to take the quintessence somewhere else?"

Keith had to take a moment to recall his comment from yesterday; he blamed the sleep deprivation. "Oh, yeah if we can. I probably should've done some research and figured out where; we could've just met up there today."

"Eh, it's more my bad than yours. You're not from around here, and a Google search can only tell you so much you know." Pidge adjusted their glasses and hummed thoughtfully then suggested, "There's a defunct gym next town over that might work, place has been empty for nearly a year and there aren't too many buildings or houses nearby."

"Okay. Is that a far walk from here? Should I call up a taxi or something?"

"Probably not a good idea to get a ride out there, Keith; like I said, the place's no longer in business. And," the speedster smirked, "Technically there's nowhere on this content too far for me. For you? Maybe. Good thing you have me though; I'll run us there."

Surprised, Keith asked, "Can you do that? I mean, have you done that before? How does it work?"

"Probably. No. And, well, I guess similar to how you and Lance fly?" At his scowl, Pidge shrugged. "I do move at a much higher velocity than he does but, if you can withstand his speeds and maintain a secure hold, you should be able to handle mine without major risk. I mean, you'll probably experience temporary vertigo or whiplash, but those aren't too bad, right?" Not waiting for a response, they zoomed off and back within the blink of an eye, their drink gone, clothing changed, and backpack slung over one shoulder.

Keith rolled his eyes when the speedster beckoned with open arms but took a step towards them.

 

* * *

 

Traveling with Pidge was vastly different than flying with Lance. Vastly as in not nearly as pleasant. Maintaining a firm grip on someone so much shorter and bonier would've been tricky had they been moving at a reasonable pace, let alone at the speedster's zoom. His only consolation was that the trip lasted mere seconds. Once Pidge halted to a stop in front of the empty building, Keith immediately dislodged him arms... And threw up, barely avoiding vomiting on his own boots. When his stomach had finally purged itself, he shakily informed Pidge that he'd walk to the nearest open business and call a taxi to pick him up there, because there was no way he'd be doing that again. Pouting at his friend's sheepish grin, he ambled up to the front door.

"How are we going to get in-" Keith stopped midsentence as Pidge zipped past him and, in the blink of an eye, swing open the door from the inside. Snorting, he entered and took a look around.

The building was indeed empty, though the floor mats, industrial lighting, and metal bars affixed to the walls did hint at its former gym use. Though some of the sunlight did stream in from the windows, Keith did channel his power to produce a soft glow, mostly thinking it'd benefit Pidge in administering his dosage. As there was no seating, he squatted down to sit on the floor, crossing his legs in front of him. Rolling his eyes at the speedster's chuckle, he stuck out his right arm, turning his wrist so the creased juncture denoting his inner elbow was visible. Pidge proceeded like yesterday, pulling supplies as needed from their backpack to tie Keith's arm, swab the veins with an alcohol soaked pad, and inject the quintessence with (they assured him) a new syringe. And like yesterday, they sped to the other side of the room to observe his reaction.

Keith lit up much faster than last time, the agonizing, searing pain no less intense. He allowed himself to fall back, lying down as his power pulsed and flared. To his relief, it lasted an hour at most before dwindling until he'd reached normalcy. Ignoring Pidge's huffed 'well that was disappointing,' he decided to will his power to the surface once more. This time, he thought, I'm going to try to supernova. Recalling the effects from that night at Javier's, Keith pulled his phone from his pocket and tossed it towards Pidge, then proceeded to strip, flinging his clothes and boots haphazardly away in hopes they landed far enough so as not to burn up. Too nervous to be embarrassed at his nudity, he called out a warning to his friend, urging them to stay back and be prepared to run if necessary.

Willingly supernova-ing, he discovered, was no simple feat. Perhaps, he mused, it had happened so easily before because of his overwhelming fear for Lance's safety. Now, not fueled by such pressing matters, Keith struggled to push his glow beyond the 'pretty but a bit blinding light show' phase. His head, and soon entire body, began to throb from tension and his forced concentration. Desperate, he finally resorted to picturing Lance, specifically how all this suffering and secrecy was, truly, to protect the blue-eyed brunette. Keith surprised himself as he admitted the evolving feelings he carried for the other man had even surpassed his initial curiosity in the 'Voltron' case and natural inclination for solving supernatural mysteries.

Using that as motivation, Keith felt the light from within intensify and, upon culmination, lost consciousness as he burst.

 

* * *

 

Materializing, much to his annoyance, was no less an ordeal. Senses returned slowly, this time in order of sound (a shrill ringing pierced his ears), touch (cold, hard mat beneath him), smell (burnt hair mixed with the subtle stale air of the abandoned building), sight (Pidge's face hovering above his with a fiendish grin), and taste (metallic notes of blood and bitter ash thick on his tongue). Groaning, Keith shut his eyes and begged his friend, "Can you give me a minute...and maybe my pants, too?"

The speedster's answering laugh hardly bothered him as he felt the weight of fabric draped over his stomach and groin. It took him a few tries to muster up the strength to sit up and actually pull the leggings on, but he eventually managed to do so. Looking at Pidge, who had stepped back, he realized they were holding a phone - his phone. Had that been the ring he'd heard? he wondered. Holding out a hand, he gestured for his friend to give it to him. As they did so, Pidge said, "Lance texted while you were, uh, busy doing your 'twinkle, twinkle into a hundred stars' bit. I responded for you, figured you wouldn't want him to panic like yesterday."

Shooting them a look of thanks, he unlocked his phone and pulled up his messaging program to view the texts. Keith's eyes widening over both the long exchange and the timestamps. (Was it nearly three o'clock already?)

Lance [10:11AM]: 'babe u up?'  
Lance [10:27AM]: 'baaaaaaabe'  
Lance [10:40AM]: 'baaaaaaaaaaaaabe'  
Lance [10:52AM]: 'wakey wakey'  
Lance [11:03AM]: 'hope u not mad abt lst night cuz im not u just kiss so good'  
Keith [11:10AM]: 'Eww'  
Lance [11:11AM]: '?!?!?!?!?!?!?! O.O'  
Keith [11:15AM]: 'Autocorrect. I meant aww. Yeah. Anyways I'm up. Before you ask, I'm hanging out with Pidge.'  
Lance [11:30AM]: ' oooh cool k i'll come over u at hunky's or their place??'  
Keith [11:40AM]: 'Neither, we're out right now. Kinda busy at the moment, can I text you later? We can meet up for lunch and do more of the kissy thingy.'  
Lance [11:45AM]: 'omg u buyin me a present arent u?! k sure i'll be waitign <3'  
Lance [12:00PM]: 'no <3 back? i am wounded'  
Keith [12:13PM]: 'Don't you have work you can be doing? Sheesh, chillax.'  
Lance [12:15PM]: 'PIDGEON WTF U DO WIT MY MAN?! GIVE KEITHY THE PHONE'  
Lance [1:00PM]: 'KEITHY BOO BOO?'  
Lance [1:30PM]: 'PIDGE?'  
Lance [2:01PM]: 'u better b gettin me a cake'  
Lance [2:03PM]: 'or somethin sexyyy'  
Keith [2:49PM]: 'I said chillax. And seriously, eww.'

Rolling his eyes at the ridiculousness, Keith shot Lance a message assuring it was him now and asking the other man if he was free to get food. The instant affirmative response made him smile; reaching for his leather jacket, Keith tucked the phone in its pocket then proceeded to finish dressing.

"So, you still want to get a taxi? Because I don't mind running you to wherever you want to meet up with loverboy," Pidge offered.

Shuddering, Keith replied, "Yeah, I'm not going through that again." Snickering at his friend's indignant huff, he tried to keep his voice casual as he asked, "Say, do you know of any good bakeries in the area?"

He knew he failed when the speedster raised an eyebrow and shot him a mocking, knowing look. However, their voice was neutral when they answered, "Dulce on Topanga Ave. Go for the coconut classic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got split up due to length plus time constraints, I need to finish editing the next part. It'll be up at my usual time. :) 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! *hugs* <3


	39. Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith goes to meet up with Lance but finds the other man isn't alone. Suspicions are raised. An easy enough task turns into a mess.

When Keith arrived at Hunk's a half-hour later, he was surprised to see Shiro's motorcycle parked in the driveway. Confectionary box tucked under one arm, Keith entered the house and, upon hearing Lance's loud laughter mixed with the steady, soothing voice of Shiro, followed the sounds to their sources in the kitchen. Lance and Shiro were sitting across from one another at the table, a handful of takeout menus scattered between them. Whereas the former greeted the new arrival with a dazzling smile, the latter's expression seemed closed-off as he gave Keith a once-over.

"Hola babe, perfect timing! We've been arguing over where to order from and need you to tie-break: Thai or Brazilian barbecue? There is no wrong answer, but there's definitely a right one so choose wisely." Lance's smile widened when he spotted the box Keith was carrying, squealing in delight. "Ooh, is that my cake?!"

Keith snorted but held out the box for the other man to examine, pulling it away and setting it on the counter behind him after Lance attempted to open the lid. "Later," he assured the now pouting man. Pausing for a moment to consider the options, Keith leaned back against the counter then answered, "Thai sounds great." Ignoring Lance's outraged huff, he turned to Shiro and asked, "Hey, early day at the shop?" The older man's presence was unexpected, though not unwelcome. 

Shiro shrugged. "Something like that." His voice sounded more upbeat when he next spoke. "We should decide what we want to order. Come check out the menu, Keith," he said as he motioned to a chair between him and Lance. Keith complied, picking up the menu Shiro pointed out to him and giving it a glance.

"Is the Duck Choo Chee good?" At Shiro's nod, he replied, "Okay, I'll go with that." Passing the menu to Lance, he waited for the other man's answer.

"Lance, what do you want to order?" Shiro asked when, after a few minutes, the brunette made no move to answer.

Pouting and crossing his arms over his chest, Lance muttered, "Brazilian barbecue." When that failed to get any reaction from either man, he sighed and conceded defeat. "Spicy beef panang."

Satisfied, Shiro pulled out his cellphone and dialed up the restaurant. After relaying their orders along with his (tofu drunken noodles), he informed the employee that they'd pick it up, listening to the reply before ending the call. To his friends, he announced, "It'll be ready in 20 minutes."

"Maybe we should eat the cake while we wait, you know, to pass the time," Lance suggested, eyes wide and hands raised in faux innocence when Keith glared at him. A moment later, he changed the topic. "Should we all go out again tonight? We didn't really get to spend much time showing Coran around because a certain mullet," he shot a pointed look at Keith, "complained about the bar being crowded."

Sensing said mulleted man's annoyance, Shiro replied, "Matt and I have a date." Rolling his eyes at his friends' snickers, he offered, "Coran's actually hanging with Allura right now, she took the day off; I can text to see if they're up for it."

Lance waved him off. "Nah, we can do it when everyone's free." Smirking, he latched onto Shiro's previous statement. "So where are you and the Mattster going? Have you asked Pidgeon for permission to court their brother? Do you guys need a chaperone? Remember: no boom-boom on the first date, mister - OOF!" He scowled and rubbed the spot on his arm where Keith elbowed him.

Mouthing a quick 'thank you' to Keith, Shiro looked to Lance, voice surprisingly patient as he explained, "It's a suprise, but I'll be sure to tell you about it after the fact if you're still interested. I actually did speak to Pidge, mostly to bounce date ideas off of them. I've never needed a chaperone on a date, and I'm not looking for a fling. I promise to be good to your friend, Lance. I do respect and appreciate your concern for his well-being." Lance snorted at the last bit but let the subject drop.

Still picking up a wave of unease off of Shiro, Keith desperately wished he had a moment alone with the other man to ask what was going on. In the back of his mind, he sensed it had to do with _his_ mind - specifically, it still being shielded from the mindreader. The quintessence's apparent side effect was both a blessing and a curse, he thought. His experiment remained a secret, but for how long? Shiro was clearly suspicious and, if he pursued it or revealed his concerns to the others, it'd only be a matter of time before Keith was outed. That Pidge managed to avoid having the information probed from their mind thus far was a miracle; perhaps, he mused, Shiro allowed Pidge some privacy out of deference to his infatuation with their brother. Whatever the reason, Keith was thankful and he hoped it continued to work in his favor.

Realizing Lance and Shiro were still talking around him, Keith forced his attention back to the present. Lance suggested, "Maybe two of us should go to pickup the food. It'd be awkward for either of us to carry the bags while flying or riding solo."

Before the brunette could ask, Keith jumped at the opportunity to say, "I'll go, with Shiro." Ignoring the twinge in his gut at Lance's frown, he looked to Shiro. "Sound good to you?" Shiro's expression was unreadable as he nodded in agreement.

Several minutes later, Keith found himself settled behind Shiro on the motorcycle, arms tight around the other man's trim waist as he sped down the street. The ride was fortunately a short one as the Thai restaurant wasn't much more than a 5 minute drive from Hunk's house. Just as they parked and Keith hopped off the motorcycle, Shiro's arm shot out, hand wrapping around his forearm to stop him.

"If you don't want Lance to get suspicious, you shouldn't avoid him." Keith blanched at the other man's warning, panicking that Shiro could maybe read his mind after all. However, that worry was negated by Shiro's next words: "I don't know why, but you're shutting both of us out. Is it the same with the others, too? Dare I ask them? I'd rather you talk to me; I'm your friend, Keith."

Grudgingly, Keith admitted the other man had a point. Apparently, he wasn't as good at being secretive as he'd previously thought. Mentally scolding himself to do better going forward, he scrambled for a believable excuse. Eventually, he settled on a partial-truth. "You've read my mind before, Shiro, you must know how I've lived up 'til meeting Lance. I'm not used to being close with people. This is new territory I'm navigating through - having actual friends and a genuine romantic interest, not just some one-night stand or booty call. I'm trying to do what I think is best."

As he'd had hoped, Shiro's eyes softened. Releasing his hold on Keith's arm, he sighed. "That's all you can do. I have seen your past, and that's part of why I care so much. My intention isn't to make you feel bad or defensive; I'm trying to remind you that you're not in this alone, you don't have to hide or hold back. We're a team. I want you to be happy."

Shooting Shiro a small smile, Keith headed up to the restaurant's entrance, hearing his friend's footsteps trailing close behind. Opening the door, he nearly missed the other man's whispered, "I also _really_ want to know how you're managing to block me."

Flustered, Keith pretended he hadn't heard and hurried inside, grateful for the distraction as an employee welcomed and beckoned them to approach the host's station.

 

* * *

 

 

Ten minutes later, Keith felt much better as he emerged from the building, armed with takeout bags. Shiro hadn't followed-up on his last statement, his behavior returning to normal and convincing the smaller man he probably chose to put his curiosity aside for now. Whatever the reasoning, Keith was relieved. Feeling confident and comfortable once more, he allowed the older man to walk ahead of him, preferring to hang back while Shiro settled down on the motorcycle and pulled on his helmet. Once the other man appeared ready, Keith moved to join him; he paused, foot raised, when a distant 'whistle' rung in the air and Shiro suddenly jolted forward. Stunned, it took him a moment to realize what was actually happening: Shiro howling in pain as he clutched just above his left hip, blood starting to seep through the fingers of his prosthetic, terrified cries from pedestrians across the street...

Spurring into action, Keith spun around, frantically gazing in search of the Galra responsible. Seeing none - and figuring they'd most likely run off already - he tossed the takeout bags to the ground and pulled out his phone to call '911.' Hands shaking, he stammered out that his friend had been shot and their location, ignoring the dispatcher's insistence that he "remain on the line" and sliding the phone back in his pocket, nearly dropping it in his haste and upset. Rushing to his friend's side, he reached out a hand to steady and calm the other man as they awaited an ambulance.

At Keith's touch, Shiro's head shot up as his eyes widened, face losing what little color he had left. Lips trembling wildly, he gasped, "Y-you're one of _them_." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...This is why I can't have pretty things. O_o  
>  #sorrynotsorry
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	40. Keith Kogane, You're F*cked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith struggles with suspicions on several fronts and suffers the consequences of his choices.

Keith wasn't sure what caused him to flinch: the fear-laden words that had just left Shiro's mouth, or the look of pained betrayal on the other man's face. Sputtering, he grasped for a response to that loaded accusation. What the quiznak? Where had that come from? Before he was able to vocalize either, Shiro spoke again, his voice sounding borderline delirious as the words spilled from his lips, "T-that's it, right? Why even now, sh-shot up with th-that...my power...I-I'm not even trying to read anyone around here b-but I can't tune them out... They're bom-bombarding me, so loud... But you, still static..."

 _Oh._ The need to reassure his friend outweighed his desire to keep the experiment a secret any longer, least from him; reluctantly, he confessed, "No, it's because I'm on quintessence, Shiro."

Through the pain, it was obvious the wounded man was shocked - and angry. Teeth clenched, he snarled, "WHAT?!" Shiro groaned and leaned forward, nearly falling over if not for Keith reacting quickly to steady him.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Keith looked up as the ambulance's siren grew louder, announcing their hurried approach. To his friend, he leaned close and whispered, "It's a side effect of taking quintessence, okay? Look, I'll explain later, after you've been taken care of. Just hang on, and trust me."

Trust, Keith knew, was difficult to earn, easy to lose, and slow to rebuild; his heart ached as he studied Shiro, the naked anguish in the other man's watering eyes. Had there been no witnesses around or risk to his friend, Keith would've gladly supernovaed and, if able, flickered out permanently - anything to escape the shame he felt in that moment.

As the ambulance pulled up and the EMTs poured out, Keith stepped back to allow them to aid the now slowly-losing-consciousness Shiro. Watching but not paying full attention to the proceedings, Keith brooded over what would have to happen next. Talk to the police and answer (evade) their questions. Follow Shiro to the hospital. Call Lance. Have Lance call the others. Find the Galra bastard that did this and make them suffer. To an outside observer, Keith probably looked deranged as his lips pulled back to a feral grin over that final thought.

 

* * *

 

The Galra were truly everywhere, Keith soon realized. To both his horror and relief, the police that questioned him bore the signature traits of the alien hybrids: pale skin, golden eyes, infuriating condescension. Painful as it was, he fought back the urge to scream accusations and attack them (because getting arrested for assaulting an officer was the last thing he needed), instead cooperating and answering as if they weren't the enemy. ("No, I didn't see who shot my friend." "No, I don't know why anyone would want to shoot him." And so on.) Having Galra on the case, he loathed to admit, was a blessing in that they weren't keen on exposing their race and intentions to humans not given powers by 'Voltron.' Keith, and his friends, were safe from police scrutiny. (Galra, on the other hand...)

However, he did begin to worry about the danger any doctors that treated Shiro posed. If doctors recognized the presence of a foreign substance in his bloodstream and went on to test it, that presented its own risk of exposure. Inwardly cursing himself for his folly, he waited (im)patiently for clearance to go on to the hospital. Once he was free to go, Keith brushed off the Galra officer threatening/offering to give him a ride to the hospital and arranged for an uber to take him there. After rushing up to the emergency room's nurse receptionist - and getting a vague update on Shiro's status even after lying about being the man's partner - he angrily stormed outside to make a call. Earlier, he'd intended to call Lance; in light of the circumstance, he ended up dialing someone else, the one person he knew could help.

"Come on, come on," he hissed under his breath, tapping a foot against the pavement. The second the call was picked up, Keith hurried to speak first. "I have something to tell you and, if you're not alone, you absolutely cannot show an outward reaction to what I'm about to say. Okay?" Not waiting for a reply, he continued, "Shiro's been shot; we're at the hospital off Ventura Ave. I'm scared because they're going to operate on him, and I don't know what they'll find."

When the line buzzed, indicating he'd been hung up on, Keith opened his mouth to sigh; before he'd released the sound, a gust of wind blew past him and he caught a glimpse of a familiar blur. He wanted to weep in relief upon realizing the clever speedster understood what needed to be done and was, at that very second, zooming through the building. If Pidge succeeded in extracting any bullets fragments from Shiro and covering up traces of quintessence before the doctors noticed, everything would be okay (relatively - Shiro was still injured and he could only hope no Galra worked there).

The wait, though in actuality short, was unbearable; Keith tensed as the seconds ticked by, fighting back the urge to vomit as his stomach revolted in protest. Rather than stopping to assure him of their success - or warn him of their failure and impending doom - Pidge sped by him in the same manner as they'd arrived. Brow furrowing, it took Keith a moment to recognize why: the speedster didn't want to be spotted abruptly appearing on any possible outdoor security cameras. Moments later, he felt and heard his phone buzz in his back pocket, signifying a new text. Pulling it out, he blinked back the tears as he read Pidge's message: ' _It's done, Keith. And don't worry about the others, I'll let them know what happened_.'

It took a moment for the words to register, but when they did, Keith swiped a hand over his face. Returning his phone to his back pocket, he headed back inside to the waiting area. Sitting down in one of the (surprisingly) comfortable chairs, Keith shut his eyes against the glaring florsecent lights and allowed his body to finally relax.

Falling asleep hadn't been his intention, but that's exactly what happened while he waited for news on Shiro. He wasn't sure how many hours had passed before an unfamiliar voice called out his first name, startling him awake. Blinking up at the tan, stern-faced man in scrubs standing a foot away, Keith mumbled an acknowledgement and straightened his posture.

"You are Mr. Shirogane's loved one, yes? The procedure went well, and he has been moved to a recovery room. I will allow you a very brief, monitored visit."

"Great, thank you." Keith stood up. "Um, are you able to tell me more, or how long he'll have to stay here?" Rolling his eyes at the noncommittal 'that all depends on Mr. Shirogane' response, he trailed a step behind as the medical professional led him to the room where Shiro was currently being kept.

 

* * *

 

Regardless of Pidge's assurance they'd inform their friends, Keith was certain he'd face an inquisition when he returned to Hunk's, no doubt to be initiated by Lance. Thinking of the brunette, it surprised him that the other man hadn't hounded him via text the entire time he'd been gone. Either Lance was too scared, he predicted, or too angry; dreading both possibilities, Keith was reluctant to back after checking in on a still-unconscious Shiro. However, he knew, it was too late an hour, not to mention dangerous, to wander off on his own. With that in mind, he caught a taxi from the hospital's taxi stand and gave the driver Hunk's address.

To his surprise, the lights appeared to be off and he saw only Shay's jeep in the driveway when the taxi pulled to a stop in front of the house. After paying the driver and thanking her for the ride, Keith headed inside, opening and closing the door as quietly as possible, assuming the occupants must be asleep. Shooting off a text to Pidge to let them know he'd left the hospital for the night and asking them to accompany him after the quintessence dose the next morning, he tiptoed upstairs to the guest bedroom. Not bothering to turn on the light, Keith pulled off his jacket and shirt and kicked off his boots. It wasn't until he moved to unzip his jeans that his eyes had adjusted enough to the dark for him to make out the shape of someone sitting upright at the head of the bed.

A scream died in his throat when Lance's voice reached him. "Don't stop on my account, mullet."

Frowning at the strain that ruined the other man's attempt at teasing, Keith left his pants on and knelt down on the other end of the bed. Wanting to see his partner's expression, he channeled his power to light up his chest and arms in a soft, dull glow. Grimacing at the hard glare on Lance's face, he whispered, "I'm sorry, about dinner, about everything...not calling or texting."

Lance huffed but he looked a smidgen less murderous. "You should've let me know what happened right away - I _am_ your boyfriend and I _am_ the one that was waiting for you guys - but I guess I should be grateful you at least had the sense to tell someone so they'd let the rest of us know. I get why you needed Pidge's help, but still." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You two have been awful chummy lately, meanwhile you've been avoiding me. Did I do something wrong? Or is something going on that you don't feel comfortable sharing with me but can with them?"

Technically, his secret was already out now that Shiro knew; unless Keith could somehow convince the other man to keep silent (and he was certainly going to try when he saw him tomorrow), the rest of the group would learn of his quintessence experiment soon. Was there any point, he wondered, in continuing to keep Lance in the dark? Maybe just for tonight? There'd been enough stress for one evening, right? Based off his second question, it was apparent Lance suspected Keith and Pidge were up to something. Debating about how to proceed, he settled for another partial-truth. "I asked them to monitor me as I test my power. As you can see, I'm pretty comfortable with glowing like this; I want to be able to take it further without losing control."

"And you didn't ask me instead because...?"

Scoffing incredulously, he pointed out what he'd thought would be obvious: "They're the fastest person on this planet, so they have the greatest chance of getting away in time if necessary. And even if that wasn't the case, I'd never pick _you_ of all people." When Lance looked like he wanted to interrupt, Keith cut him off: "I lo-like you, I won't risk your life." Expecting Lance to pounce on his word choice - does that mean you don't like Pidge? - or the near slip - love, was that really what this feeling was? - his light went out following the brunette's reaction: Lance told him to go quiznak* himself and stormed out of the room.

 

 

(* _Only he didn't say_ quiznak.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, that was a close one... (Or was it?) o_O
> 
> Next up: More klangst, more power, and Keith and Pidge get ready to visit Shiro at the hospital.
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	41. Couldn't Stay Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boy chases boy. Boy catches boy. Then oh boy the rest...

Unlike the last time Lance blew up at him, Keith had no intention of sitting idle and wallowing all night, pining for the other man's return. No, this time, he sprung into action and chased the other man down the stairs, catching up at the bottom as Lance stumbled in the dark. Despite the brunette's squirms and angry huffs, Keith managed to grab ahold of his tshirt's right sleeve, nearly falling over in his haste to hang on as Lance, in a surprising show of strength, tugged forward towards the kitchen. More for his benefit than for his partner's, Keith willed his arms to glow once again to avoid tripping along the way.

"Stop!" Keith hissed loudly, both to vent his frustration and in an attempt to be heard over Lance's rapid, Spanish rant. He didn't understand what exact words were being said, but he understood the meaning behind them all too clearly. "I said stop! Stop fighting me - ouch! - and shut up for a second!" Keith bit back a groan as the brunette jabbed an elbow into his stomach.

"Cabrón! Me mentiste! Cállate!" Lance spat as he gave one final yank, pulling his sleeve free but at the expense of the fabric ripping. Taking advantage of the other man's surprise, he shoved Keith roughly back and bolted for the backdoor, hurrying to slide it shut behind him before being caught up to again. Unfortunately, Keith recovered quick enough to shove the door open and duck outside, crowding the brunette against the side of the house. To think last night they'd been in a similar position, only amorous; now, kissing was the farthest thing from Lance's mind as he bared his teeth. "Back off, mullet!"

Restraining his partner's flailing arms, Keith pleaded, "Listen, just listen - stop! Please!" When the other man paused for breath, he rushed on to say, "You can't keep running off every time you're scared or upset. Talk it out with me, dammit."

The wild-eyed brunette scowled, "You want me to talk? Then take your own advice: shut up and listen. You can't almost say you love me in the same breath that you patronize me. You don't want to risk my life? It's been at risk since before you got involved, since I first played that stupid game and became," he gestured to himself, "this. Every single one of us is in danger, every single quiznaking second of every single quiznaking day. But do I go lying and sneaking around behind your back? No, because I care about you too much to do that. That shit you're pulling? That's not love, that's not what keeps people safe; that's what drives them away."

Floored by Lance's words, Keith could only blink in response. His reaction, or lack thereof, however, seemed to only incite the brunette further. With a hard shove, Lance was able to gain enough space to slip away. Murmuring for Keith to 'just let him go,' the other man propelled up into the sky.

As Keith opened his mouth to command he 'get back down here,' a low growl from behind froze him mid-action. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a large, black creature crouched to attack. Turning his head just a fraction, Keith realized it was a bear - Hunk, in bear form. Recognizing his friend, though, was hardly cause to let his guard down because, after all, Hunk was most definitely reacting to whatever and however much he witnessed of the exchange with Lance. Mama bear to the rescue indeed, he mused. Keeping his movements slow so as not to threaten the still growling bear, Keith raised his hands in surrender and forced a calm expression on his face.

Moments passed before the bear finally backed down, during which Keith was grateful his bladder wasn't full because he most certainly would've lost control of it from the fright. When Hunk transformed back to human, the other man was too unnerved to admire the process or blush over Hunk's sudden nudity, not even reacting when the tall man strutted in all his glory right past him.

It was Hunk's drawled 'get in here' that prompted Keith to snuff out his glow, reenter the now brightly lit kitchen, and slide into the nearest chair, watching helplessly as his friend briefly disappeared down the hall then returned wearing a pair of loose sweatpants. For several minutes, the only sounds in the room were those coming from Hunk as he whipped up two grilled cheese sandwiches and, after adding a healthy squirt of Sriracha mustard at the corner of each plate, joined Keith at the table. Sliding one serving in front of his friend, Hunk dug in enthusiastically, humming with pleasure as he dipped an end of his sandwich in the condiment before each bite. The other man's behavior, combined with the mouthwatering aroma of buttery bread and melted cheddar, had Keith eating his food, though with some hesitation. He did appreciate Hunk's patience in letting him finish his sandwich before starting in on him.

"What did you do?"

Despite the question being asked in a more curious than accusatory tone, Keith startled as if it'd been yelled. Still, he responded, "You'll have to be more specific than that."

Hunk sighed. "What were you sneaking around to do behind Lance's - and all of ours, I'm assuming - backs?"

Stubbornness was one of Keith's least attractive qualities; he knew this, wholeheartedly agreed with this. It reared itself in the worst of situations...like right now. Until he knew for certain Shiro wouldn't keep his quintessence use secret, Keith was insistent, "It's literally only been for a couple of days. I'm trying to hone my power, and I asked Pidge to monitor how it goes." One foot in the grave, a mocking voice in the back of his head chided; he imagined flipping his middle finger in retaliation.

"Well," he conceded, "Pidge is a good choice for that, I guess. But I don't see why you couldn't talk to Lance first."

How Keith wanted to respond: ' _He's not my keeper, stop making this a bigger deal than it has to be_!' How Keith actually responded: "I thought he'd try to stop me."

Hunk face-palmed and wearily replied, "You've been called obtuse before, right? Because you seriously are sometimes. Short of you doing something reckless like egging on a Galra or shooting yourself up with quintessence, Lance would never interfere with anything you want to do." It took everything in Keith's power not to roll his eyes; instead, he murmured noncommittally and prayed the other man would change topics.

Miracles do happen, he mused, as Hunk next asked, "How's Shiro? Pidge only told us he'd been shot, and you were with him at the hospital. Lance mentioned you two were off picking up food. What happened?"

"The Galra waited to shoot him until we were leaving the restaurant and getting ready to head back here. Shiro got hit in his side; I didn't get to take a good look at the wound, but I think it's right above his hip. The ambulance got to us pretty quickly, plus the blood kind of shook me. I didn't spot the gunman, so they must've left right away. The cops that questioned me were Galra, they seemed eager to coverup what really went down. After they let me go, I went straight to the hospital and had to wait a while for any news on Shiro. I'd called in Pidge to recover the bullet, if it hadn't gone clean-through him, and ensure the doctors didn't detect the quintessence; I don't know how they accomplished all that, but I'm grateful nonetheless. When I left him, Shiro was still out of it but the doctors said the surgery went well."

"Jeez, Keith. It's a good thing the shooter took off and didn't aim for you, too." Hunk paused. "Unless, do you think the Galra are punished if they go after someone they're not assigned to?" Keith shrugged. "Regardless, I'm glad you're safe and that you didn't hesitate to get Shiro real medical attention. If I never have to patch up another wounded friend, I'll die a happy man. When do you plan to go visit him tomorrow? I have a short shift in the morning, but I should be done by noon if you'd like the company."

Not wanting to raise suspicion - or turn down the kind offer - Keith said, "I'd like that. Pidge expressed an interest in coming, too. Do you think," he couldn't mask the hopefulness in his voice, "Lance might want to join us?"

Shooting his friend a soft smile, he answered, "Yeah, but I would wait until morning to ask him. Lance can get real prickly sometimes, but he's a smart guy and he's got a big heart. He'll see reason...eventually." At the other man's pout, he chuckled and encouraged him to get some sleep. After Hunk turned down his offer to assist in washing the dishes, Keith ambled up to the guest bedroom, his steps getting heavier and shoulders drooping as exhaustion set in. Not bothering to remove his jeans, he merely undid the top button prior to curling up in bed.

 

* * *

 

Given that he'd gone to sleep alone, Keith didn't consider it outlandish to assume he'd wake up alone, too; so when he rolled over and bumped into a warm body, he reacted as any sane person would: he screeched and jumped off the bed so fast that he got tangled up in the sheets and crashed to the ground. Groaning in discomfort, and at the familiar snicker coming from his bedmate, he kicked the sheet away and shut his eyes against the humiliation and harsh morning light filtering in from the window. Sensing, rather than hearing, Lance scoot over to peer down at him, Keith cleared his throat and grumbled a 'hey' in greeting.

"That wake up, babe? Totally worth the ringing in my ears. Who knew you were a screamer? He-he." Keith cracked open an eye and caught the other man fingergunning at him, squeezing it shut again.

"I didn't expect to see you." The obviously went unsaid. He felt flustered, in both the good and bad way, over the brunette's surprise appearance. Daring a look up, he gasped at the tender but thoughtful look in Lance's eyes as they raked over his face.

"I couldn't stay away," he admitted quietly. "What I said last night... It was the truth, and I'm not sorry for saying it. If you don't want to involve me in stuff you do, fine - but don't avoid me, and don't lie. I'm a big boy, I can handle us disagreeing; I can't handle being disrespected." A pretty blush spread from his ears down to his neck as he continued, "When I left here, I originally planned to go to my usual thinking spot, but then I remembered when I brought you to that beach, how you looked so beautiful glowing and how sweet your lips tasted when we kissed... I didn't want to think about that because I was still angry, though it did kinda turn me on, so I ended up flying aimlessly for a while... Until I landed, at the hospital Pidge told me Shiro was at." Keith tensed but didn't interrupt. "I almost got kicked out of there but I finally sweet-talked a nurse into letting me peek in on him and, since he was awake, visit for 5 minutes. We didn't get to do much talking, he was on pain meds and the nurse was standing right in the doorway the whole time; he did impart some words of wisdom though."

When the other man made no move to speak further, Keith tried to keep his voice light as he prompted, "Oh?"

Apparently, that had been what Lance wanted, as he said with a dazzling smile, "He told me to trust my heart and let it lead me; that's why I'm here." Keith pushed himself up, intent on kissing the brunette to express just how wonderful he felt, how the words made him feel, in this moment. Of course, Lance had to ruin it by adding, his eyes gleaming wickedly, "He then imparted some vomit on my shoes, so I did have to make a brief pit stop at my place before I actually came here." After a moment's hesitation, Keith decided 'screw it' and surged forward to kiss his partner anyway. Both were content to keep the kiss chaste, silently agreeing that they needed it, just like this.

Keith was the one to end it, though slow to do so; smirking over Lance's gasp of protest, he stood up and walked into the bathroom, pausing to tease the other man by pushing his jeans down just enough to reveal the top swell of his cheeks before closing and locking the door behind him. Once the pants were fully removed, he turned on the shower and brushed his teeth while waiting for the water to heat up. By the time he stepped under the spray, it was perfectly warm and pulled a moan from his lips. Realizing how grimy his hair and skin actually felt from skipping a wash yesterday, Keith took his time massaging the shampoo into his locks, lathering up his body, and rinsing thoroughly. After shutting off the water, Keith wrapped a large towel around his waist and reached for a smaller one for his hair. Toweling his hair dry and fingercombing it into submission, he gave himself a once-over in the mirror then returned to the now empty bedroom. Dressing in a deep v-necked shirt and black skinny jeans, he made sure to grab his phone and boots before heading downstairs.

Lance, he'd expected to find in the kitchen; Pidge and Coran, he had not. The three were gabbing between stuffing their faces with donuts, though they each paused to greet him. Not wanting to interrupt their chatter, Keith took the seat nearest to Lance and helped himself to a Boston Creme, his favorite.

"- I can't interfere! Butterfly effect and all," Coran quipped with a mouthful of donut, little pieces flicking out of his mouth as he spoke.

"That was a shitty movie," Pidge snorted. "And I refuse to believe you haven't tried to change the future already."

"He totally has!" Lance jabbed towards the redhead with a piece of his donut, a glob of its jelly filling splatting on the table. "Saved us from this emo, bleached blonde at Haggar's. This'd be no different, right?" He looked to Keith for agreement, seeming to forget that his partner hadn't been present for most of their conversation.

"...What would be no different?" At Lance's indignant scoff, he replied, "Hey, I just got here. What exactly are we talking about? Is someone in trouble?"

It was Pidge that filled him in, adjusting their glasses as they stated, "Not in the way you're thinking. Coran had a vision of Allura getting drunk and fooling around with that coworker Shiro mentioned her liking, waking up the next morning regretting it. While I'm all for freedom of choice, I do think Coran should warn her. What if she loses her job over this? That'd be awful."

Oh. Keith was disappointed; not that he wanted their friend to be in life-threatening danger, but this seemed so trivial compared to everything else going on. Speaking of which... "Coran, you never had visions of Shiro getting shot?"

The redhead looked sheepish when he confessed, "No. I've mentioned before, I don't always see things in order and they don't always turn out as I foresaw. For example, I originally saw everyone but Keith die that second night at Haggar's. But, after I got involved, it changed several times as I altered my behavior: first we all died, then just Lance died, then we all died again, and then we all finally lived!"

Keith hummed thoughtfully. Would Coran be able to focus his power if he took quintessence? Shiro was overwhelmed by other people's thoughts so, he thought, maybe not. To Pidge, he asked, "Should we get going?" The speedster nodded.

"You're leaving?" Lance's face dropped. "Oh, right. Secret power training."

"Huh?" Coran looked concerned.

Rolling his eyes at Lance, Keith explained to the redhead, "I'm trying to develop my power and learn how to control it; Pidge has been coming with, to make sure nothing bad happens."

Coran's big, dramatic sigh of relief and slouching in his seat caught the others' attention. Realizing he had three pairs of curious eyes watching him, he explained cheerily, "Future must've been saved again, because I used to have these really disturbing visions of you and Pidge sneaking off together, drinking shots of quintessence as if they were espresso."

Blanching, Keith exchanged a look with Pidge before turning to Lance. The brunette looked amused but, when Keith shifted to stand, thrust a hand under the table and gave the other man's knee a hard squeeze. Lance's voice was deceptively upbeat when he announced, "I think I'm gonna tag along with these two rascals today, work on my own control. If you're not busy, Coran, you should totally join us." When the redhead declined, stating he had plans with Allura to visit Shay's shop this afternoon, Keith couldn't help but wish he'd agreed to come along; as his partner continued to squeeze his knee, he mused that Coran would've made a decent human shield against the wrath of Lance.

 

* * *

 

Instead of going out to the defunct gym - or 'quintessence junkie den' as Lance caustically called it - the trio remained at Hunk's house, though they did have the forethought to move to the back porch. Keith cringed as he faced the brunette's inquisition, answering every question tossed his way and watching the other man's expression morph from sad to shocked to pitying to outraged to pensive.

"So that's why you wouldn't spend the night recently," Lance hummed, ignoring Pidge's faux gag in the background. "That excuse is officially null so we're smooching and cuddling all night tonight, dammit." Keith fought not to blush but nodded to appease his miffed partner (and because, well, he wanted that, too, dammit).

"Who wants to get shot first? I vote Lance," the speedster stated as they held up one needle, a second one lay among the other supplies atop their backpack.

"Heck yeah! I bet I'll handle it better than mullet boy here," the brunette jeered. Pidge snickered and complied, tying the tubing to make his veins more predominant and swabbing the area with a sterilized pad. Shooting their friend an apologetic look, they stuck the needle into the vein and injected the quintessence. Keith barely had time to watch the other man's reaction as Pidge made quick work of him, administering the dosage in much the same manner.

Hot pain rushed underneath and across Keith's skin, a familiar sensation but no less agonizing than any of the previous times he experienced it. Relieved that Pidge had already sped back a respectable distance from them both, he glanced over at Lance. The brunette's complexion turned a little pale but didn't seem to be experiencing any negative side effects; if anything, the look on his face appeared almost euphoric. Of course, Keith inwardly scoffed, Lance would get off easy while he was struggling not to burst.

Grateful that he hadn't voiced the thought aloud, he gaped as the brunette suddenly shot up in the sky, a near-deafening sonic boom resonating in his wake. Just as the panic - and his power - threatened to consume him, Pidge's words reached his aching ears, "You know, you two together would make one heck of a fireworks display. Maybe we can do it for Hunk's birthday next month..." Calming at his friend's ridiculousness, Keith shut his eyes and lulled himself into an almost meditative state despite the pain, his heart feeling lighter as the sound of Lance's happy laughter began to sound from above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got split in half because a) it was getting kinda long and b) I want to make some edits to the next part before posting it. 
> 
> So next up: The hospital visit, Galra, Shatt, and more! 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	42. There Are Different Ways To Wound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group visits Shiro at the hospital and make some plans.

Having Lance in on the quintessence experiments was definitely a good thing, Keith and Pidge decided. As Keith's repeated use of the substance allowed him a quicker recovery time from the initial 'power trip,' he spent an hour sitting with the speedster on the porch, looking up to admire the flighty brunette doing figure-eights high in the sky above the house. During that time, they also discussed what to do next: visit Shiro was obvious but, after that, were there any steps they could take to find his shooter? Even if they managed to find the Galra responsible, Keith wondered, what would they do with him or her? Capture him or her and risk another Prorok-style massacre? Kill the Galra? Assuming any of them could kill a Galra with their power...would any of them ever be willing to do so? When Pidge posed that very question, Keith knew better than to answer; he was positive they wouldn't like his answer, as he thought 'yes,' he could do it, would do it, if there was no other way to defeat the looming Galra threat. Though the speedster didn't press him for a response, their gaze a little too shrewd as they studied his face.

Relieved when Lance touched back down to the ground, Keith jumped up and gave his partner a quick hug before pulling out his phone, noting the time and Hunk's imminent return. Heading back inside, they sat at the kitchen table and finished the few donuts left from breakfast. Keith was almost too distracted watching Lance lick sticky honey glaze from his fingers to hear the front door opening and closing, signifying their friend's arrival. It pained him to do so, but Keith forced himself to look away and call out a greeting to Hunk. The tall man, though tired, flashed the trio a big smile.

"Hey guys! I'm just gonna take a quick shower and change before we head out," Hunk gestured to a dried stain on the front of his shirt, "An angry kitten peed on me when I tried to get it on the scale." When the other three laughed in response, he joined in then ducked out to go freshen up upstairs.

Several minutes later, he reentered the kitchen, ends of his black hair damp and wearing a yellow tshirt, grey cargo shorts, and sandals. Motioning for his friends to follow, Hunk led the way out front to his car in the driveway. To Keith's surprise, Pidge actually accepted the ride, zipping past Lance to claim the front seat despite his call of 'dibs.' At first, the brunette grumbled at having to sit in the back but, upon realizing the opportunity sit beside Keith, slid right in and shot his partner a flirty wink, snickering at the other man's eye roll.

Doing his best to ignore Lance, Keith instead focused on the conversation going on up front between Hunk and Pidge, the two discussing their injured friend. Knocking away the brunette's hands as they reached out to touch his mullet, he chimed in with his own observations and concerns. By the time they arrived at the hospital, he'd thwarted over a dozen of Lance's handsy attempts, both flattered and annoyed by the playful man's antics. Hunk parked the car in the visitors' section, choosing the nearest vacant spot from the door.

As they entered the hospital, Pidge pointed out, "Matt's here." At their friends' questioning looks, the speedster nodded towards the front lobby. There, sitting in a chair and flipping through a magazine, was Matt...no, Keith realized, a Matt clone, wearing a baseball cap to hide his hair, baggy hoodie to conceal his slight build, and, to his amusement, a fake mustache. Given the clone's disguise, Keith suspected he wasn't the only one they'd see on their path to Shiro's room; if Matt set them up as lookouts, as he suspected, the man would no doubt have several on guard. In the end, the group passed ten clones, even spotting one dressed as a janitor and mopping up a mess.

The real Matt was inside Shiro's room, as to be expected, sitting by his injured partner? friend? crush? Keith wasn't sure what they were yet; their first date, he recalled, was supposed to be last night but (obviously) had to be postponed. Glancing at Lance, he realized they hadn't had a proper first date, had they? Pushing the thought aside - because he could brood for hours over his relationship with the brunette - Keith turned to study Shiro. His face was still pale, eyes glazed, but he was awake (if not lucid) so that was at least a slight improvement from the last time Keith had seen his friend.

Just as the others exchanged greetings, Shiro whined, "Not you too, Lance." Everyone looked from the injured man to Lance and back again, wondering what that meant. Keith prayed it wasn't what he thought it was... "You took quintessence." Yup, he inwardly groaned, that.

Lance shrunk back at Hunk's obvious disappointment and Matt's confusion, sheepishly holding his hands up then pointing at Pidge and Keith, "They made me do it!" That shifted the attention to Keith and Pidge; the former scowled while the latter shrugged indifferently as if to say 'yeah, what of it?'

"Why the hell would you do that?!" Hunk addressed his outraged question towards Keith, clearly realizing who the instigator truly was.

Before he could think to answer, Shiro blurted out, "Pidge thinks it's because he wants to kill Prorok." Keith shot the speedster a dirty look, to which they again shrugged.

"You can't do that," Matt turned to him and tried to reason, "We know the Galra are ruthless and not afraid to kill, but we hardly know what they're capable of. Even if you juice up to grow stronger, you're only putting everyone at further risk because there's no guarantee it'll work but every guarantee you'll be more dangerous should you lose control of your power."

Matt had a point, but - "I'm not going to sit back and let them win. Pidge was the first to say it, they're going to keep gunning for us and we can't avoid them forever. We have to fight back. I don't know if I really want to kill Prorok, or any Galra; but I'm going to stop them, whatever it takes. This is bigger than us, it's not just us but the whole world at stake." Lance placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, a sad smile on his face.

Pidge piped in, "And I've portioned the quintessence into small doses. Keith's managed well on it, hasn't hurt anyone or anything but himself - and maybe my sensibilities - on the occasions he's supernovaed. He can control his power, least he has so far. Lance did good, too; we all can, if we take it slow and build ourselves up. I refuse to kill the Galra, no matter how terrible they are, but I'm absolutely going to kick their butts."

Hunk let out a drawn out, frustrated sigh. His voice sounded resigned when he said, "Short of mauling the three of you while in bear form, I know I can't stop you. I wouldn't resort to that, anyways, even though I don't think what you're doing is right."

"But is it wrong?" Lance asked, expression showing his distraught over the other man's disapproval. "We're at risk no matter what; this way, we're not sitting back idle and waiting to be picked off by those buggers. If we're stronger, maybe we can fight back."

Matt cleared his throat, drawing all eyes to him. "Did you guys seriously forget? The whole reason why they're trying to dope us with quintessence is to boost their tracking signal to locate Voltron. If it really is here on Earth or somewhere in this solar system, you're just making it that much easier for the Galra."

The truth to those words brought a silence over the room. Keith felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment for ignoring such an important flaw to his plan. If the Galra find Voltron, it won't matter how powerful he and his friends are - their world, and who knew how many others, would be doomed. That meant only one thing, he realized. "We either destroy the Galra tracking system or we use it to find Voltron first." Ignoring the answering gasps, he continued, voice ringing with more confidence than he actually felt, "First, we have to find out what the equipment actually is and how it works; we'll need to risk it and get ahold of another Galra to question. And if they don't talk, we'll move onto another, and another, until we get our answers -"

"But Keith," Pidge interrupted, "They're gonna catch on to what we're doing, even if we don't...release our captives. If they've got a base nearby as I've suspected, it'll be even more obvious something is up when comrades don't report in."

Lance's face lit up as he rushed on to defend his partner. "So what if they do? We've already taken three of their weapons, four if you count Prorok's. They know we're going to fight back; and if we're gonna do it, we might as well go all out. Quiznak, let's take their base, too! They might have more than just weapons and quintessence there, maybe we can hack into the tracking system."

"Wow, Lance. That's actually a good idea," the speedster mused aloud.

The brunette scoffed. "I've always got good ideas, Pidgeon."

"Like letting Nyma handcuff you to a tree? She stole your car."

"Borrowed my car, and the events leading up to the handcuffing were _very_ good."

"Guys!" Hunk scolded.

"Sorry mom," the two grumbled simultaneously, neither looking repentant. Lance pointedly avoided looking at Keith, sensing the other man's irritation; it didn't stop Keith from glaring at his profile.

Shiro's voice sounded weak, laced with pain, when he next spoke. "Whatever we do, we need to do it as a team. You can't keep Coran, Allura, and Shay in the dark anymore. I don't know how much help I can be in my condition, but I'll support you all however I can, whichever way you choose to go." Matt, gazing lovingly at the other man's face, insisted Shiro be allowed to rest and moved to shoo everyone out of the room, pausing when Shiro begged, "Everyone but Keith, I just need a minute with him." Though he frowned, Matt nodded in agreement and ushered the others outside, closing the door behind him as he was the last to exit.

Keith waited for the other man to speak, growing more nervous as the seconds passed and Shiro continued to level an indiscernible look at him. When he couldn't take anymore, he asked, "What?" Shiro motioned him to come closer, to which he hesitated but complied, stopping when his legs bumped against the side of the bed.

Just as he started to repeat his question, the injured man cut him off. "I still can't read you, Keith."

"S-so?"

"I knew Lance took quintessence because I read it from his mind, not Pidge's." He paused, giving Keith a pitying look as the other man's eyes widened in realization. "I was right, before. You _are_ one of them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd originally planned on a certain Galra making an appearance in this chapter, but they've been pushed to next because I didn't want it rushed and smushed in. So that's to come next chapter, along with Keith's reaction to his possible heritage and more! 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	43. Nobody Backs A Galra In A Corner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro tries to reason with his stricken friend. Keith and Lance (don't) play nice with sudden company.

Panic attacks mostly start the same, least for Keith: a wash of heat flooding through his body, lips parting to expel shallow pants, delicate droplets of sweat beading around his thick fringe and hair at the nape of the neck, and wobbly knees threatening to give out at any moment. Even as his vision blurred, the naked concern on Shiro's face was blatantly visible; the injured man's soft, soothing words still audible despite the loud roaring rushing through Keith's ears. Desperately, he tried to focus on his friend and grasp onto what scraps of his sanity remained. _Galra. Me. No. Shiro!_

"Keith, you're safe, safe here with me. Please, try to breathe. Can you try for me?" Keith allowed Shiro to take hold of one of his hands, too overwhelmed to fret over how uncomfortably clammy it no doubt must've felt to his friend. The other man's squeeze was strong, borderline painful, and that somehow left him feeling more grounded than the honeyed words that preceded and followed. "All I want you to do, in this moment, is breathe. Let it in and out, let your body decide how slow, or not slow, it needs. Nothing is wrong, Keith. Trust your body to breathe... Yes, just like that." Shiro squeezed his hand again. "I'm so proud of you, you're doing so well." In other circumstances, Keith might've been embarrassed - or a little intrigued - by the genuine pride dripping in the other man's voice; right now, though, that tone was like a cooling breeze, blowing gently across his skin and lessening the anxious flush.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, Shiro soothing him with encouraging, undemanding words while giving the occasional harsh squeeze, but eventually Keith's body and mind had calmed enough for him to squeeze the other man's hand back in thanks. "Sorry. I didn't mean to, um, freak out like that."

Shiro shook his head, a small smile on his face. "You have nothing to be sorry for, not for your reaction to learning you're Galra or, in fact, being Galra." At Keith's frown, the other man went on to say, "I didn't mean what I said before. I know you're not one of them, the ones working with Zarkon and trying to take over our world. I've read your mind before; I know how good and strong of a person you truly are. You aren't one of them - you're one of us."

As much as he appreciated the sentiment, Keith couldn't help but wonder aloud, "How is it even possible I'm Galra? My parents died when I was young, but I remember them; they were nothing like the ones we've encountered. Mom was a kindergarten teacher, dad a rodeo performer - both even-tempered, patient, loving. No yellow eyes or disregard for human life. I can't imagine either of them being a Galra. Wouldn't they look like Galra? Wouldn't I? I'm very pale, yeah, but my eyes are blue." He paused. "Not to mention none of them got powers from 'Voltron,' only humans do otherwise they wouldn't bother with us...them. And you used to be able to read my mind, which can't be done to Galra. Maybe quintessence can shield some minds, maybe you could still read Lance's because he's loud even in his head."

"He refers to your eye color as 'dreamy, dark blueberry.'" Shiro attempted a chuckle but the sound came out broken, his eyes growing sad and voice serious as he continued, "I know how much your parents meant to you, Keith, and they did seem like good people judging by your memories. They probably were; not all Galra have to be bad, or even working for/with Zarkon. It might've just been one of your parents. Your mom was the paler of the two, if I recall, and her eyes were hazel - those could've been contacts. Maybe she was a second or third generation hybrid, or maybe you are; your Galra DNA is probably so diluted that most of the traits didn't carry over. Quintessence is an alien substance, it could very well be heightening what little Galra is in you." Shiro hummed, taking a moment to think his next reply over before sharing it. "For all we know, Galra can and have gotten powers from 'Voltron.' You initially thought that Haggar's employee Thace might've died from losing control of his power, assuming it was something fire related. What if that's not entirely wrong? Prorok said that blonde Galra woman killed him, but he never disclosed how - maybe it did involve his, or possibly her, fire ability. It'd explain the lack of evidence as to what caused and accelerated the fire that killed him."

Everything he said made sense logically...but no, Keith refused to believe it, least the parts about him. (Stubbornness strikes once again, he mentally chided himself.) Prorok's words replayed in his head: 'more to you than mere human.' Pidge's description of the Galra they'd bamboozled, one looking distinctly alien and another looking 'kinda like Keith.' Zarkon commenting after his one-on-one battle in 'Voltron' that he 'fight(s) like a Galra.' No, Keith growled and shook his head as if to rid the thoughts, clinging to Shiro's reassurance that he was one of them and letting the words drown out the others. It took him a moment to realize why those rang so loud: because the other man had repeated them. Keith mused his friend was still a mindreader even without using his ability, as he'd known exactly what he needed to say to prevent another bout of panic.

When he realized Keith was calmed, Shiro said, "The others need to know about you. It's not my place to tell them, and I won't, even if you decide to conceal it. But we both know it's inevitably going to come up, and it'll hurt more the longer you keep it secret."

Recalling his argument with Lance the night before and the words they'd exchanged this morning, he found himself agreeing. "I will tell them, and I'll respect whatever they decide."

"They're not going to reject you," Shiro assured him. "They'll be confused, naturally, but it's not like you knew this whole time and lied about it. This doesn't change anything."

Doesn't it? Keith wanted to scream. Instead, he bit his tongue and nodded to placate his friend. Shiro looked more exhausted now than earlier and, he mused, Matt would no doubt create a clone army just to clobber him if the injured man didn't get his much needed rest. Forcing a small smile on his face, he told his friend he had to go and would return to visit the following day. Not waiting for a response, Keith left the room.

To his relief, none of his friends were in the hallway, though Keith did pass the janitor Matt clone along the route to the front lobby. Once there, he spotted Lance standing just outside the entranceway chatting and gesturing animatedly with his arms to another Matt clone, this one disguised as...a biker? Keith snorted at the awkwardly bony, leather-clad, bandana-wearing clone; he looked more like the kind to ride a tricycle than a Harley. A tightness pulsed in his chest when Lance glanced up and met his eyes, a brilliant smile lighting up the brunette's beautiful face. It is a beautiful face, Keith thought in awe.

"Hey babe," Lance reached out to grab his partner's hand, pulling the other man close. "Hunk went to visit his lady. Pidge and Matt left to get Shiro some real people food; you missed it, once the two were out of camera sight they actually sped off with him piggyback. Didn't know they could take anyone on their runs before, they mentioned doing it for the first time with you yesterday. I really hope they didn't piggyback you, because I'd be bummed to have missed that quiznaking hilarious sight," he snickered. Keith rolled his eyes in response. "Unless you wanna hang around for them to get back, I figure we can go for a flight or do some canoodling." At Lance's suggestive eyebrow waggle, the clone made a gag noise and excused himself, heading back inside the building.

"I'm good to go..." Keith's voice tapered off as he spotted something from the corner of his eye. So as not to alert his partner, he tried to casually glance sideways to his right, knowing he failed as he heard Lance's gasp. Or was that his? he wondered. There, leaning against what looked like Shiro's motorcycle at the end of the parking lot, was a Galra. Not just any Galra; Keith recognized the large, prosthetic-armed man from the bar. A similar sardonic smirk to the one from that night graced the alien hybrid's face, almost challenging Keith to approach him again.

Challenge accepted, he thought, as he ignored Lance's soft plea ('wait') and pulled his hand from the brunette's grasp. Hesitant footsteps trailed behind his, but Keith hardly paid those mind as his focus was dead-set on the Galra, who made no move to flee or hide from the men headed his way. What was the name of his likeness in 'Voltron'? Keith struggled to remember. It wasn't until he was a few feet away that it came to him. "Sendak," he sneered in lieu of a greeting. The Galra showed no outward reaction to the name, so Keith had no way of knowing if it was indeed his name or if he was surprised at its use.

"Hello pretty one, and pretty one's consort," Sendak purred, grin widening at the former's scowl and the latter's nervous gulp in response. The Galra's voice, had it belonged to anyone else, would've been appealing, sexy even, smooth and rich like a decadent desert-wine; to Keith, though, it was...still sexy, dammit. His scowl deepened as he inwardly chastised himself for thinking such a thing. This is the enemy - on what is definitely Shiro's motorcycle.

"How the hell did you get Shiro's bike, you bastard?" he snarled, shrugging off the hand Lance weakly placed on his shoulder, no doubt an attempt to calm his partner. This wasn't a time to be calm, Keith reasoned, this was a time to be angry and get some freaking answers because seriously how did the Galra get it?!

Sendak's casually asked, "You really need to ask?" only infuriated him more. When Keith continued to silently seethe at him, the Galra chortled and replied, "Like Haxus said, pretty but not very smart. I did come here in hopes to visit with our...mutual friend, but there appears to be a clone infestation within the building."

Keith's eyes widened as he stepped forward, struggling against Lance as the brunette wrapped both arms tightly around his midsection to keep him from charging at the amused Galra. He hissed through bared, clenched teeth, "So you're the one that shot Shiro - you were trailing him that night, at Javier's, you and your runt cohort. He is being guarded now, you're not getting anywhere near him again."

"I hardly need to get close," Sendak lifted his prosthetic arm, pushing a button on it with his other hand to activate the hand to retract and transform into a gun-like weapon. "All I need is a clear line of sight, pretty one." He turned his hand to point the muzzle at the two men, his voice mocking as he said, "Or I could just as easily turn my sights on someone else. Perhaps you or your consort...or the homely clone-monger that our prince despises so, he'd probably thank me for harming that pathetic plebeian."

"You hurt any of my friends, I'll kill you!" Keith wrenched away from Lance and shoved the brunette back, hard but protective. He didn't strike the annoying Galra, but he did jab an angry finger at him. "Go run back to whatever hole you climbed out of and tell your boss Prorok that -"

Sendak's eye roll and snort cut him off; Keith blinked at the odd behavior. The alien hybrid, seeing his confusion, explained, "Truly not very smart. Did you not hear me last time, pretty one? Prorok was not my leader; Prorok is no more - he met the same fate as Ulaz." He pressed a button on his prosthetic to reactivate the normal hand mode once more then added, "You remember Ulaz, do you not? You bewitched him at Haggar's, as I heard it."

Floundering for a response, Keith gaped when Lance chose to speak up. "Listen here, Softdick: if you know what's good for you, you'll remove your nasty alien buttocks from our friend's bike and run away while we're still feeling generous enough to let you. Otherwise? My man here and I will flamebroil and plummet from 3,000 feet above what's left of your carcass." The brunette's hands were on his hips, the smirk menacing and smug that he directed at the large Galra. Keith felt torn between wanting to shake the other man for his audacious threat or kiss him for it; in the end, he did neither, keeping his eyes fixed instead on the enemy and shifting his feet, preparing his body to strike if necessary.

Whatever humor was on Sendak's face melted away, leaving a calculating aloofness in its wake. His eyes flickered from Lance to Keith before he stated, "Prorok was wrong; your consort is worthy of you, compensating for his lacking looks with an abundance of recklessness that surpasses your own." Stepping away from Shiro's motorcycle, the Galra's expression and voice returned to their usual derisive joy as he lifted the prosthetic arm to mock salute Keith and said, "I look forward to our next meeting, pretty one. May it be without such," he spared Lance a contemptible glance, "distraction."

The only thing that stopped Keith from chasing after the Galra was Lance, who got up in his face and blocked his path the moment he tried to step forward. Glaring at the brunette, he swatted the other man's hands away that pushed at his chest. His annoyance flared when he noticed the hard, glittering anger in Lance's blue eyes.

"What?" Keith finally spat when his partner's silence ire became too irritating to bear. He left out a groan of frustration when he glanced over the other man's shoulder and saw Sendak had already disappeared, direction unknown.

"Hey, look at me mullet!" Lance's sharp words drew Keith's attention back to him. "You met Sunblock before? When? And why didn't you tell me?!"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, he relaxed his body and calmly answered, "I saw him at Javier's that night we took Coran out. When I went to the bar to get a drink from Rolo, I spotted him and a smaller Galra sitting there, watching us. I don't know why I did it, but I walked right up to them and tried to intimidate them into leaving. They didn't, of course. We only exchanged a few sharp words before Shiro spotted me and rushed in to stop things from escalating, dragging me back to the table. That's why I proposed we all leave and head elsewhere, because Shiro and I were worried those two would retaliate. I-I was embarrassed to say anything at first, but then it sort of slipped my mind with everything else that happened after."

Lance's eyes bulged with incredulity. "Slipped your mind? You egg on Shondunk and his bro and it just slips your mind? Quiznak, Keith!" He paused to screech, hands coming up to tug at his own hair in frustration. "I know he would've and could've attacked Shiro at any time before then, but do you not think he gunned for the big man following your monumental display of stupidity because he was pissed?!" The first half of that ending statement hardly comforted Keith; he didn't get Shiro shot but... Even now, he wanted to kick himself as he replayed both the prior and this exchanges with Sendak - he'd done it again, poked at the dangerous Galra without thinking things through. To make matters worse, he'd let (Lance distract him and) their enemy get away when, if he'd approached the situation differently, he could've possibly questioned about the Voltron tracking system or apprehended and then questioned him about it. Cursing his own recklessness, he tensed when Lance suddenly snorted in derision. "Well, since we're totally screwed...wanna go back to my place and makeout, babelicious?" Keith face-palmed, because that seemed the better alternative to planting his palm in his now fingergunning partner's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Keith - baby's got issues, and some explaining to do. (Possibly smooching with Lance, too, who's all but screaming at me: 'LET US HAVE A HOT BUT STILL 'T' MOMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE, PLEASE.') 
> 
> Next chapter: Keith tells the group about his (questionable) Galra heritage, and speaking of those pesky Galra... 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	44. Told Ya So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith reveals his Galra heritage, which leads to interesting results.

After some bickering (mainly from Lance), the two took off to meet up with their friends at Shay's shop. Midway there, Keith shot off a text to Pidge for them and Matt to join them within the hour. Ignoring his partner's grumbling over postponing "smoochy fun time," he remained silent and focused inward, preparing himself for the upcoming reveal. Shiro's assurance that the group wouldn't ostracize him did temper some of the worry Keith felt overall, but it was Lance's reaction that made his stomach twist...because there was more to lose. Not just friendship, no, also the romantic aspect of their relationship. Would the brunette still want to hold him close like this, try to whisk him away for those body-tingling kisses? Keith swore if Lance still wanted him after learning of his heritage, he'd drag his partner off and give him as many kisses as he could handle.

Shit, he thought upon realizing they'd already reached their destination, the 'Spiritual Awakenings' sign looming as the other man, to his annoyance, landed them right out front. Before Keith could open his mouth, Lance sneered, "Yeah, I know, I know." Chuckling over his partner's responding huff of indignation, the brunette kept an arm slung around Keith's shoulder and steered him inside, the door chiming their arrival.

Last time, Keith didn't have the chance to do much browsing around the shop; this time proved no different, as Lance pushed him towards the back room, from which Hunk poked his head out to wave them over. The big man stepped back to allow them entrance, drawing the curtain shut behind them. Keith raised an eyebrow upon seeing Coran and Allura crowded around a table with Shay, engaged in what appeared to be reading the redhead's future. So as not to disturb them, he leaned against the wall beside Hunk and tugged Lance beside him, shooting the brunette a 'don't interrupt' warning glare.

"...You're going to find a great love, only to lose it from means beyond your control." Keith stiffened at Shay's words - was she actually reading Coran's future or _his_? The redhead didn't seem flustered or disturbed by the observation, instead continuing to smile and nod eagerly for the woman to continue as she gazed into the crystal ball. "In the end, the world will be greater for your loss, and you'll be revered for your heroism." That cryptic comment could have a lot of interpretations, Keith mused, but Coran's demeanor didn't falter. Pulling back from the crystal ball, Shay turned to face her boyfriend and the new arrivals. "And now the boys have something to tell us, yes?"

Lance pushed forward first, smug smirk on his face as he boldly announced, "Keith and I found the Galra that shot Shiro; the bugger actually had the nerve to show up at the hospital on Shiro's motorcycle." His chest puffed up more at the others' gasps.

"Were you able to apprehend him?" Allura asked, the first to recover from the shock.

"Um," the brunette's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, "we sorta insulted the bugger and let him get away." At Hunk's facepalm, he hurried on to add, "But dude, it was Shoelick, the dude from the video game! I've fought him a couple of times, always wiped the floor with that loser. Next time we meet, I'm gonna wreck him."

"Of course you threatened him," Hunk groaned, sparing a glance at Keith, "and of course _you_ were in on it." He held up his hands in surrender, as if to say 'I give up.' To Coran, he asked, "Have you had any visions relating to...whatever this Galra's name actually is?"

Coran's brow furrowed, curling an end of his mustache around one finger as he took a moment to think. "If you're referring to the one I think you are...big guy with the prosthetic arm?...No, but I did encounter him during my first go at 'Voltron.' Lance is grossly downplaying that Galra's abilities, he was near-unstoppable in the gladiator arena." When he noticed the others confusion, he explained, "There's a special stage, where you battle through a swarm of various alien enemies, all mechanized and not afraid to wipe out one another for the chance to kill your paladin. I only ended up surviving because, out of nowhere, the black paladin rushed in and held that Galra off so I could escape. Shiro knows all about the arena, too; he's told me he even won it before, which is hard to believe but, if any of us could do it, it'd definitely be him."

Shaking his head at the new, questionable in terms of usefulness, information, Keith was relieved when Pidge and Matt sped into the room, the latter stumbling dizzily away upon their sibling's abrupt stop and falling wobbly into the chair beside Allura. The silver-blonde reached out a hand to steady him, with the other petting his hair affectionately. Pidge, meanwhile, didn't seem offended or surprised by their sibling's behavior, instead turning to Keith and asking, "So what's the big news we needed to hear? It took me forever to drag Matt away from Shiro's bedside, I had to enlist four clones to help literally pry his hands from the metal bars!"

Ignoring Lance's scoffed, 'surprised Sweaty Palms didn't slip right off,' Keith decided to speak up before the brunette steered the conversation off topic. As the speedster always said, best to just rip the bandage - "I need to tell you guys about something Shiro told me, when he asked everyone else to clear the room...He can't read my mind anymore. I thought it was because of quintessence, as I've been secretly taking small doses to build up my power, but that's not the cause, least not entirely. I'm not sure I can fully believe it, but...Shiro suspects one of my parents might've been Galra, thus making me part...Galra."

Shutting his eyes against the gaping expressions of his friends, Keith braced his body and waited for the blowup...which, to his shock, never came. Familiar, svelte fingers curled around his hand to lace with his own. _Lance._ A large, warm hand clapped down on his opposite shoulder, giving a friendly squeeze. _Hunk._ Those two reactions alone made Keith want to collapse in relief; holding strong, he forced his eyes open to face his friends. With the exception of Allura, who was frowning fiercely, everyone appeared various shades of surprised (Matt and Shay), accepting (Lance and Hunk), and...smug? Coran and Pidge sported matching grins, much to Keith's shock.

As if sensing his silent question, Coran replied, "I had a brief vision several weeks ago of you activating a Galra-locked screen by placing your hand on it. I figured that wouldn't have worked for just anyone."

Keith stammered, "A-and you knew this whole time? B-before you even met me?"

The redhead shrugged. "I probably could've mentioned it sooner but, truthfully, it doesn't change anything. You're still you, still my friend, no matter what."

Before he could react to the other man's casual confession, Pidge said, "And I knew the minute I saw that Galra Sina. I told you, she was practically your twin. Say, do you think she's a relative? I might've knocked out your long lost sister or cousin for all we know."

"And you didn't say anything either?!" Keith's eyelid twitched as he glared at the speedster, who seemed nonplussed by his ire.

"I implied, you just chose not to consider it. You really _can_ be obtuse." Had Hunk not tightened his hold on Keith's shoulder, the other man might've charged at their friend. As it were, he silently seethed as his friends chatted around him.

"So back to Setfleck," Lance turned to Pidge and Matt, "you missed it, the real important news is that boo-boo and I saw the Galra that shot Shiro in the hospital parking lot." At the siblings' panicked expressions, he said, "No worries, we chased that douche nozzle off. And, coincidentally, we got Shiro's motorcycle back because I guess he'd taken it from outside the restaurant." Pulling out the keys from his pocket with his free hand, Lance tossed them to Matt, who missed and had to scramble to pick them up from the floor.

Pidge scowled, hands on hips. "You should've texted me; we could've captured that Galra and made him talk."

"They should've called the cops, that guy's dangerous," Hunk reasoned. Keith blanched at the mention of the police, recalling the Galra officers that questioned him after the shooting, but couldn't bring himself to form the warning words. Were they seriously not going to linger over his Galra heritage? Glancing at Allura, he realized she was the only one reacting normally/as expected, obviously upset and confused by the news. Even Shay and Matt seemed fine with the news, their expressions and body language relaxed.

Matt's next words pulled Keith from his thoughts. "If Coran saw Keith use Galra tech, that means we must eventually find their base, or at least that we can feasibly find their base if we're smart about it. It probably is too much of a risk to try to catch that Galra - I refuse to believe his name is Setfleck - that shot Shiro. And I honestly don't think I could trust myself not to shoot him, or get a clone to shoot him, if given the chance. So that means we aim for another Galra. Who else do we know of?" He turned to his sibling. "There were the three stationed out of Hunk's house, obviously each there for a different person. If we can figure out who's following who, maybe we can determine the easiest, best, one to approach."

The speedster nodded, looking pensive as they mused aloud, "I'll have to patrol anywhere Hunk, Coran, and Allura go. Not to mention Lance, whose Galra handler hasn't made an appearance. Prorok's definitely too risky to go after again, we won't be so lucky as to run him over a second time."

"N-no," Keith finally found his voice, albeit it was weak as he explained, "Prorok's dead. Th-that bartender from Haggar's I spoke to, too. S-sendak told me."

"Huh," Pidge sighed, "I'll have to tail you, too, then. Based off the Galra we know of so far, I'm leaning towards Sina. Not because she's a pushover - she actually put up the most fight of the three - but her resemblance to Keith. Even if they're not actually related, she might talk to a fellow Galra."

Back to the real issue, Keith thought. Addressing the group, he asked, "I can't believe it's this easy - are you guys really okay with my being part-Galra?" He shot a pointed look at Allura.

While the others nodded emphatically, the silver-blonde continued to brood. Realizing Keith was awaiting an answer, she eventually said, "I understand you were unaware of having a Galra parent, but this is a lot to take in. For me, at least." Upon seeing his crestfallen expression, she added, "But I don't see you as our enemy, Keith. I think I...need to speak with Shiro. Unless you've any other news to impart," she turned to Matt, "I'd like to go see him. Matt, I can take you back as well."

Keith couldn't fault his friend for her response - it was still better than anything he'd feared - but it did hurt, especially in comparison to the easy acceptance of the rest. Nodding an okay, he watched as Allura and Matt took their leave. Shay drew his attention, "I'm sorry, we didn't think to ask how you feel about your heritage, Keith. I don't know of your family situation, if your parents are still alive or not to talk to, but I can only imagine how upsetting it is to find out something like this." With a small smile, she insisted, "We're all here for you, Keith."

Blinking back the tears at those gentle words, Keith struggled to form a response. He was spared when the ground briefly shook as a loud boom sounded from outside. Everyone scrambled at the same time for the front door, Pidge zipping ahead as usual. Keith followed as close behind as possible, nearly crashed into the tiny speedster upon reaching the door. With his added height, he didn't need to move around his friend to see the horrifying sight that had them so enraptured: Shay's jeep, or what was left of it, was _on fire_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the day - I worked an extra long shift last night and conked out the minute I got home. Next chapter will be up at usual time!
> 
> Next up: WTF is going on... Also, did Shay, Allura, and Matt really not pick up on the quintessence comment? Pfft, course not! There's more on that, too! 
> 
> Note for anyone wondering about the reactions to Keith's heritage reveal: I think, given this AU and the group's interactions thus far, they'd be tolerant/reasonable about it. Keith's obviously not a Galra enemy - Shiro would've picked it up from his mind earlier - and he's clearly not so Galra as to be a threat. If anything, someone like Matt, for example, recognizes the potential benefits. As for Lance...do you really think a guy that far gone for Keith would let a little cat-bat DNA kill his literal and metaphoric boner? ^_o 
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3 *hugs*


	45. Those Burning Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group struggles with questions, concerns, and high emotions.

The first thought that came to Keith's mind was: _Galra_. The next, he voiced aloud: "Do you think Allura and Matt made it out of here in time?" _To avoid getting caught up in the fire_ was left unsaid. Glancing around, he didn't see any signs of a perpetrator, the duo, or the silver blonde's car. Pidge let out a heart-wrenching wail and zoomed off, their accompanying gust of wind only feeding the flames engulfing their friend's jeep.

Hunk brushed past Keith, a weeping Shay curled up to his side as they observed the wreckage. Coran trailed behind the couple, pulling out his phone to ring up someone (Shiro or Allura, perhaps?). Lance was last out the door, stopping beside Keith to whisper, "Too bad one of us didn't have a useful power, like summoning water."

Annoyed at his partner's poor attempt at humor, Keith shot him a glare then turned to his other friends, eyes softening at Shay's reddened, tear-streaked face. His gaze flicked up to Hunk as the big man, still facing the fire, solemnly stated, "About taking quintessence...I change my mind, I'm in."

"Me too," Coran agreed absentmindedly.

Knowing better than to warn his friends about regretting their decisions, Keith merely murmured an acknowledgement. He wondered aloud, "The Galra obviously did this, but why?" He bristled at Lance's answering snort.

The brunette, upon seeing his partner's annoyance, said, "This has Soapdish written all over it, he's as spiteful as that blonde chick from 'Mean Girls.'"

"We have no way of knowing that, least not yet. There are plenty of other Galra gunning for us."

"You egged him on again."

"Me?! If he's pissed at anyone, it's you."

"Guys!" Both men flinched at Hunk's yell, throwing apologetic looks at the big man when they realized how much (further) their comments distressed Shay, who looked on the verge of hysteria.

Coran, who'd finally put his phone away, cleared his throat. "They do present a valid point, Hunk, but I agree they should keep speculation to themselves and shelve the unresolved sexual tension-laden squabbling until later. Keith, Lance, you're aggravating the situation, not helping. When Pidge returns or - let's pray - Allura and Matt do, we can hash out our theories and go from there. Allura's not answering her phone, but I'm hoping she'll see my missed call and ring me right back."

Thinking of the speedster and the duo reminded Keith of Shiro, the other friend missing at the moment. After a slight hesitation, he pulled out his phone to dial up the hospital, requesting to be patched through to the extension for Shiro's room.

It rang twice before Shiro's sleepy voice came on the line. "H-hello?"

Regretting waking the injured man, but assuring himself it was necessary, he replied, "It's Keith. Something happened at Shay's shop...her jeep is on fire, and we can't find Allura and Matt. They were leaving to see you a few moments before we heard the commotion out front." He paused. "Pidge took off, I think to look for them. Coran said Allura isn't answering her phone."

"Dammit," Shiro growled. For a few minutes, the only sounds Keith heard on the other end were rustles of fabrics. Just as he began to worry, the other man was breathless when he spoke again, "I'll be there in 10 minutes," then hung up.

Keith's eyes widened and he tried desperately to ring Shiro back, but the call failed to connect. Shoving his phone in his pocket, he threaded his fingers through his hair then allowed them to rest at the base of his skull. Sighing in frustration, he informed the others, "I guess Shiro's on his way here...say, shouldn't we call the fire department or something?"

 

* * *

 

To his surprise, Pidge had not yet returned by the time the firemen and the - not surprising at this point - Galra police cleared out. Though most of the questions weren't directed at him, Keith felt frazzled by the sight of the familiar yellow-eyed officers. Come to cover up their crimes again? he thought bitterly. His friends seemed to take it in stride, Shay especially impressing him as she bore the brunt of their attention. ("How did your jeep come to catch fire?" "Can you think of anyone that would want to hurt you, Miss Balmera? "What were you doing inside when this happened?" Etc.) The group breathed a collective sigh of relief when the police finally took their leave. 

After texting the speedster to ask on their whereabouts, Keith opted to wait outside for Shiro, who was also taking longer than expected, shooing off Lance when the brunette tried to keep him company. "Go help Coran comfort Hunk and Shay," he insisted, placing a quick kiss to his partner's lips as he shoved the lanky man inside. Once he was sure Lance was gone, Keith moved a safe distance from the door and leaned against the wall, sliding down to sit on the pavement.

Keeping track of the time with his phone - and glaring at it impatiently because Pidge hadn't responded - Keith looked up just as Shiro arrived, nearly an hour later than the injured man estimated earlier; and, it turned out, he wasn't alone. Rising to his feet, Keith couldn't help but smirk as Shiro pulled up on his motorcycle, two Matt clones seated behind him, the first happily plastered to the man's broad back while the other struggled to maintain a hold as they parked in the space closest to Keith. The back-most clone, the one still wearing the fake mustache Keith remembered from the lobby, tumbled off the bike and would've fallen had Shiro not shot out an arm to grip the back of his loose top. Shooting a smile of thanks over his shoulder, the mustached clone straightened, stepped away, and waved to Keith. The clingy clone seemed reluctant to part with Shiro, only doing so when the other man reminded him to be mindful of his injury. Though his complexion was still pale, Shiro moved with little stiffness as he dismounted the motorcycle.

"Keith," he greeted. "Is everyone okay? Are they inside?"

"Pidge, Matt, and Allura are still M.I.A., but the others are fine. I let them go on ahead in, said I'd wait for you." Keith looked over the clones, raising an eyebrow. "I take it these are your accomplices? How did you manage to sneak out of there exactly?"

Whereas Shiro looked sheepish, the mustached clone grinned wickedly while the other continued to stare longingly at the injured man. It was the former clone that answered, voice dripping with pride, "I coordinated multiple diversions: clone six got into a brawl with one and four, three streaked through the halls of the floor above Shiro's, and five vomited all over the salad bar in the cafeteria. The remaining clones acted as a lookout for two and I to escort Shiro through the chaos and out to the parking lot. We were gonna grab a taxi from the taxi stand, but then Shiro spotted his bike."

"I still had my keys on me," Shiro explained, shrugging. "I'm surprised you guys got my bike to the hospital for me. Did Allura happen to drive it over? She knows where my spare set is kept."

"Um, no." Brows furrowing in concern, Keith admitted, "After I left your room, I went downstairs to meet up with Lance. We headed out to the parking lot and spotted a Galra sitting on what I recognized was your motorcycle. It turned out to be that big one from the bar, Sendak. He confessed to shooting you, and we exchanged some threats and insults. We unfortunately let him get away..."

"But he shot our man!" The clingy clone cried in outrage at the same time as the mustached one scoffed, "Of course you did. Sheesh, some badass you are."

Meanwhile, Shiro blanched more, if possible. "But Keith, I only have one spare set of keys, at my place. So that means he -"

"Has been inside your home," Keith finished, horrified at the realization. Groaning, he shot off another text to the speedster. "If I can get ahold of Pidge, I'll have them run over to check if it's okay."

"Don't bother," the other man said, face grim. He spared a look at each clone. "I'll go."

"No!" The clingy clone grabbed the injured man's hand, pleading, "What if Sendak's there? Or if he set up a trap? You can't get hurt again; let me go!"

Not to be upstaged, the mustached one chimed in, " _We'll_ go, you stay here with mullet boy," he gestured at Keith, "and we'll let you know what happens...unless it's rigged with explosives, in which case: it was a privilege to lust after you." Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Keith watched on as the clones argued with Shiro until the other man finally gave up and handed over the keys to his motorcycle.

 

* * *

 

Two hours later, and everyone was starting to grow anxious when no one had returned. Not Pidge, not Allura and Matt, and not the clones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come on WTF is going on...plus Pidge returns. (But do the others?) O_o
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	46. Pidgenator 2: WTF

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge returns...but does anyone else?

Gathered in the back room of Shay's shop, the remaining friends ignored the tea someone (probably Shay) poured earlier. Hunk had his girlfriend in his lap, absentmindedly stroking her back and whispering reassurances whenever she seemed on the verge of tears again. Coran was pacing the room, fiddling with his mustache and mumbling incoherently under his breath. Shiro sat rigidly in a chair across the from the couple, arms crossed over his chest and eyes cast downward at the floor. And Keith shot message after message to the speedster to distract himself from the urge to throttle Lance as his partner whistled loudly and continually cracked his knuckles. (How no one else was jumping at the brunette's throat was mystifying, he mused, because it definitely amplified his panicky mood; did it not to the others?)

Unable to take it anymore, Keith elbowed Lance in the arm to shut him up and, to the group, said, "As much as I don't want us to split up, I think we need to search for our friends."

"But how?" Lance pouted, jutting his lower lip forward in a way that was _absolutely not cute_ in Keith's opinion. "Matt, Allura, and Pidge could be anywhere. The only ones we could realistically locate would be Shiro's clone groupies, assuming they're still at his place and haven't been flame-broiled like Shay's jeep or dragged off to be tortured by the Galra. And don't forget the ones he said stayed behind at the hospital; just where the heck are those buggers?"

Sighing in frustration, because of course Lance was right, Keith glanced back down at his phone and willed it to ring or buzz. Obviously, he thought bitterly, that didn't work. Hunk, who'd paused in crooning at his girlfriend to listen to the exchange, startled Keith from his inner 'pity party' when he said, "I'm loathe to say it but...I think we need to wait it out, at least until dark." Noticing Lance opening his mouth to interrupt, Hunk rushed on to say, "It'll only be another hour and a half at most. While an aerial search might seem like an effective method, Lance you can only see so much from up there. The best bet at tracking down any of them is me, in my bear form - with my heightened sense of smell, I can even detect Pidge's scent when they're traveling full-speed. Allura's scent is still new to me, so that might be the most tricky, but I can definitely find Pidge and, hopefully, the Matts."

Keith was no bear expert, but he didn't doubt the power of the animals' olfactory. But, he worried, could they afford to wait? Glancing at Lance, he debated about urging the other man to take him flying around the neighborhood. Assuming a Galra with a sniper rifle or rocket launcher wasn't lurking nearby, they should be able to safely scan the area and possibly even do a loop by Shiro's place. Just as he decided to suggest that very idea, however, Keith felt a familiar vibration from the phone he dropped on his lap. The room seemed to grow quieter, as he felt the eyes of everyone else fixated on him as he, with shaky fingers, picked up his phone and swiped a finger across the screen to read the newly arrived text message.

Pidge [6:19PM]: 'My house. ASAP.'

Numb, he was relieved when Lance, who read the message over his shoulder, announced to their friends, "Assuming it's not a Galra trap: Pidge wants us to go to their house. And even if it is a trap, I'm ready to kick some hybrid ass. So let's go!"

 

* * *

 

Upon Lance landing them in the driveway of Pidge and Matt's townhouse, Keith didn't notice anything glaringly suspicious; Matt's car was missing from the driveway, no doubt still parked at the hospital, but there were no signs of a break-in or other disturbance outside the residence. Inside, he worried, might be another story. Shiro, with Coran in back, pulled up on his motorcycle, parking a respectable distance from where the boys stood. Moments later, Hunk and Shay arrived in the former's car, waiting until their group of friends moved to stand on the lawn as they parked and exited the vehicle. Exchanging nervous looks, the group walked up to the front door, Shiro taking the helm with Keith one step behind.

Before the injured man could raise a hand to knock, the front door swung open. Shiro barely steadied himself in time as the clingy clone - number two, Keith recalled from earlier - launched at the man, squealing in delight. Everyone, especially Shiro, was relieved to see the clone, indicating at least one of their missing companions was unharmed. Maneuvering the clingy clone in his arms, Shiro walked inside, gesturing with his head for the rest of the group to follow. Keith peered around the taller man's shoulder, trying to spot either the other clone or Pidge; not seeing anything but the empty living room, he carefully pushed past Shiro and led the charge ahead.

The kitchen, like the living room, was unoccupied; however, glancing down the hall, Keith could see a light coming from the basement. Anticipation and dread curdled his stomach as he approached the door leading downstairs, hesitating to turn the knob and face what awaited below. A gentle, playful press of lips to the back of his neck, without a doubt from Lance, seemed to be all the encouragement he needed to turn the handle.

"You guys took your sweet time," the mustached clone sneered in lieu of greeting from the bottom of the stairs. Standing on tiptoes to see beyond Keith in the doorway, he huffed, "If you came all this way and didn't bring Shiro..."

Rolling his eyes, Keith began to descend the stairs and assured the clone Shiro was there, too, albeit - "He's trying to pry off your buddy." Shoving back the outraged clone attempting to run up past him and the others, he reached the final step and turned to enter the space, gaping but having enough sense to keep moving to make room for his friends.

As to be expected, Pidge was there with a guest - guest as in Galra captive. It wasn't just the appearance of the Galra that shocked Keith - no hood to obscure her face, this must be the infamous Sina as she was a near spitting-image of him - but her restraints. Learning from their mistake with Prorok, Pidge had the Galra bound via an elaborate, leather and metal body harness that, he mused, looked like it came from the S&M section of a sex shop. Shoulders pinned to the tall back of the chair, elbows, wrists, and hands appearing to be rendered completely immobile, waist cinched by a snug, thick band, the top of Sina was quite secure; the metal shackles and spreader bar on her ankles seemed ample for her legs. Even the gag system was upgraded, as well: a cherry red ball affixed to a leather band fit snugly between the Galra's teeth. But the pièce de résistance was Pidge, the speedster wearing a waist holster containing a Galra gun (taken from Sina, he surmised) and holding a small, metal baseball bat in one hand.

Unlike Lance, who burst out laughing after taking in the entire scene, Keith's surprise gave way to relief that a) their friend was okay and b) those hours of worry weren't for naught. Trust Pidge, he thought fondly, to catch another Galra, and single-handedly this time...or was it? The speedster's greeting drew his attention.

"Hey guys. As you can see I've been...busy. I spotted a group of Galra including this one," they prodded the captive's thigh with the tip of the bat, "fleeing from the areas surrounding Shay's work. I first chased after a big guy with a mechanical arm and his smaller buddy, but that nearly got me killed or, worse, captured - turns out the Galra also possess bullets filled with a substance that does the opposite of quintessence: it can temporarily inhibit abilities. I merely got grazed by one and that was enough to cause me to abruptly slow the freak down, nearly crashed into the side of a Starbucks. I managed to escape them by ducking into the coffee shop, but I started panicking because I couldn't move like normal. Correction: normal _for me_. It took almost an hour for the effects to wear off, and once I was up and running again I went in search of the other Galra I'd seen, specifically Sina here. By the time I caught up with her, I hung back in hopes she'd lead me to their base; no such luck, though. I followed her to a burger joint which, I checked, was Galra-free sans her and serving nothing more than greasy fast food. As she was sitting down to eat, I figured I'd risk a few seconds to check the hospital for Matt and Allura - no sign of them - then devise a plan to apprehend Sina. A quick trip to the sporting good and adult shops later, and I was back before she'd taken more than a few bites of that double-bacon cheese. Waiting for her to finish was the worst part, because wow for someone that makes such unhealthy food choices does she eat daintily, but I nabbed her once she stepped back outside then brought her here. I next did some laps around the neighborhood to ensure it was safe before telling you to come over."

Before anyone could respond, the mustached clone, who'd stood back and let them all pass once he spotted Shiro clingy-clone-free come down the stairs last, added, "And in case you're wondering about us: after we thoroughly checked out Shiro's place - and I dragged number two out of his bed - we stopped by here in hopes of finding Matt. Instead we found Pidge and their new 'friend,' so yeah, we stayed to watch guard."

Ignoring Lance, as the brunette's laughter only grew louder as the duo explained, Hunk scowled at the speedster, pointing an accusatory finger, "If I wasn't so angry at you for worrying us half to death all these hours, I'd hug the stuffing out of you. I might anyways." Turning to level the same annoyance at the clone, he said, "Same goes for you, too." Pidge rolled their eyes, while the clone yipped and hurried upstairs.

As much as he appreciated the explanation, and the newfound information about the Galra weaponry, Keith could feel his impatience get the better of him because he felt there were more pressing matters to attend to, mainly their captive. Sparing a glance to see how his silent friends were holding up - Shiro wearily eyeing the captive, Shay blinking in confusion, and Coran grinning like a maniac - he decided it'd be up to him to take charge of the situation. 

Since his entry into the room, Sina's thoughtful, narrowed eyes hadn't wavered from Keith's face. Did she see the resemblance? _She had to._ Who was she to him, if anyone? he wondered. Though he desperately wanted to ply the captive with those questions, Keith knew he'd have to wait until he could speak to the Galra alone. Instead, he looked at Pidge. "I think it's time we found out where that base is, don't you? ...Among other things." The speedster nodded in agreement, smirking as they moved to unfasten the gag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Your kudos, comments, and clicks make my day. *hugs* <3


	47. Interview With A Galra, Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the questioning begin...but how much will they really learn?

"Wait." At Shiro's command, Pidge stilled, hands hovering midair by the Galra's headgear. The group, in fact, froze, even Lance abruptly ceasing his laughter, turning curious looks at the injured man. Not uncomfortable in the slightest by the attention, Shiro declared, "We all have something to discuss. Upstairs." Though the speedster looked like they wanted to argue, they sighed and shrugged in acquiescence; Keith, however, didn't agree with delaying the questioning. As if sensing his friend's confusion, Shiro added, "This is important. Trust me."

Could anyone say 'no' to that? Not Keith, who grudgingly nodded. He did point out: "Even though she's bound, we can't risk leaving the Galra unattended - so technically we can't all go upstairs. I'd say let's have the clones come down here, but after what happened last time..." Glancing around the room, the others appeared just as uncomfortable with leaving the clones alone again with a dangerous captive. Shiro, in particular, seemed to shrink in defeat upon realizing the conundrum.

It was Shay that came to the rescue, offering, "I'll stay, too." When Hunk looked about to protest, she placed a placating hand on his shoulder and said, "Someone should, and it may as well be me. I trust Shiro; I trust all of you. So trust me back, okay, because the clones and I will flatten this bitch," she glared at the bound Galra, "if she tries anything." Ignoring Lance's low whistle of admiration, Shay addressed Pidge, "Mind if I borrow your bat?" The speedster looked equally in awe, handing over the metal object wordlessly.

After Pidge called up to the clones and the duo lumbered downstairs, the group (sans Shay) headed up, Hunk shooting a concerned look at his girlfriend while Shiro jumped back just in time to miss the clingy clone's attempt to squeeze his butt in passing. Once the last person, Lance, made it up the stairs to the kitchen, Pidge shut the door to the basement then joined their friends around the table.

As Shiro was the one to insist they had something to discuss, everyone waited for the injured man to speak. Keith grew impatient and opened his mouth to urge the other man to get on with it, stopping short when Shiro cleared his throat right before speaking. "We absolutely must question that Galra, about the base and the whereabouts of Matt and Allura, as well as the inhibiting substance Pidge encountered. But, unlike last time, we can't just wing it down there - we," he sighed in self-deprecation, "lost our heads with Prorok, let emotions get the best of us and got sidetracked. We need to treat this like our only chance at learning those answers, because it might be."

Coran was the first to respond, murmuring thoughtfully, "That's assuming Sina will answer anything we ask; but why would she? Keith mentioned finding out that Prorok and the bartender from Haggar's were killed - so that's two Galra that shared Intel with us, willingly or not, executed by their own people. Why would she risk her life when she's nothing to gain?"

"But she does have something to gain: her life," Pidge stepped forward, hands on their tiny hips. "We offer to free her from the Galra; by helping us find Voltron first and/or annihilate their tracking technology, she'll be able to live as ordinary or fangirl-crazy a life as she wants."

"And that's assuming," the redhead fiddled with his mustache, "Sina's personal dream isn't to conquer our world."

Lance snorted, eyes twinkling with mischief as he replied, "Given what Pidge mentioned of that chick's YOI obsession, I think her personal fantasies run more towards hot, lean, sexually-adventurous dudes. Obviously that'd be me - OW!" He met Keith's glare with one of his own, rubbing the back of his head where the other man whacked him.

"No flirting with the Galra," Keith hissed, lips curled back to bare his teeth.

"Technically you're Galra," Lance huffed.

"GUYS!" Hunk and Shiro yelled simultaneously, startling their friends. The two exchanged a weary look, then the latter said, "This is exactly what I don't want to happen when we go to question her. Patience yields focus. We need to work together and devise a plan."

Hunk held up a finger, adding, "I'm all for patience, but let's not take too much longer. Shay and the clones are waiting on us, not to mention poor Matt and Allura."

Reminded of their friends, the others settled down, including Keith who did so only after scooting his chair an inch away from Lance's. Face-palming over the couple's antics, Hunk asked Shiro, "Why don't you just ask all the questions?"

"Because," Pidge answered before the other man could, "he's the one that lost his temper and punched Prorok. While the jerk did deserve it, he was tied up at the time so that sort of ruined my enjoyment." Chuckling at their friend's scandalized expression and Shiro's responding flush, the speedster turned to Coran. "You weren't there, either; that was the highlight of the whole thing, so you didn't miss much."

To Keith's surprise, it was Lance that suggested, "Keith should take point; unless I'm mistaken, he is the only one among us making a living investigating things. Plus, that Galra couldn't take her eyes off him. Can't say I blame her on that." When the others murmured in agreement over the idea, Keith glanced at Lance and, upon seeing the brunette's soft smile, nodded his acceptance.

 

* * *

 

No one was more relieved than Hunk to see everyone was exactly as they'd left them in the basement; he rushed past everyone to hug his girlfriend, who'd been leaning against the wall opposite the captive. Pidge zipped in to rescue the metal baseball bat from Shay's hand. The clones, standing on either side of the Galra, looked bored until they spotted Shiro - both of their faces lit up, and the mustached clone waved while the clingy one bounced up and down. Ignoring the amused snickers from his friends, Shiro smiled in greeting and told the clones they were free to go upstairs. When neither seemed eager to leave his presence, he added, "Maybe you could make lunch? You're such great cooks, and I'm absolutely starving." That was all the encouragement the clones needed as they scrambled to comply, nearly tripping in their haste up the stairs.

Though reluctant, Hunk pulled back from Shay. "Are you going to stay?" Looking equal parts disappointed and grateful when she said 'no,' he gave her one last hug before watching her leave the basement.

Keith, meanwhile, was locked in a staring content with the Galra, which only broke when Lance's hand brushed against his own and squeezed. Intending to glance at the brunette in 'thanks,' Keith tensed: Sina's gaze had shifted to him. Pulling his hand from the other man and stepping ahead, Keith cleared his throat to regain the captive's attention. Without breaking eye contact, he motioned for Pidge to remove the Galra's gag.

"If you bite me or spit at me, I'll drill a hole right through your head," the speedster threatened, raising a clenched fist.

Similar to the one they issued to Prorok, Keith realized. Had this Galra spat at them, too, or was it just an intimidation tactic? Shaking the thoughts from his head, Keith took a deep breath to steady himself. The others were counting on him to get the answers they needed. His own could wait. _No pressure, no pressure, right_...

"Pidge told me your name is Sina Hakashi. Which one of us are you assigned to follow?" When the Galra remained silent, Keith stated, "None of us want to hurt you, we just want answers."

"Lies." He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but Sina's high-pitched and girlish voice wasn't it. The underlying mockery to her words, though, was spot on.

"They won't hurt you without cause -"

Sina interrupted, "I wasn't referring to the fast one, or even the damaged one." Smirking at Keith's curious expression, she explained, "I was referring to you."

Knowing it'd be dangerous to let the Galra steer his questioning, Keith repeated, "Which one of us are you assigned to follow?"

Instead of clamming up or taunting him, Sina seemed inclined to answer. "The bear." She spared a glance at Hunk and winked. "I enjoy your midnight jaunts." The big man looked down in embarrassment, no doubt realizing she'd seen him transform (and seen him naked).

Despite sympathizing with his friend, Keith couldn't let that distract him anymore than Sina's earlier comments so he pressed on. "Who blew up Shay's jeep and why? Where are our friends, Matt and Allura?" He wasn't sure how to take the captive's sudden eye roll.

"You know the 'why,' just as you know the 'who.' I know you have no regard for my life, but don't demean me." Before he could respond or even react to that cryptic comment, Sina continued, "They have been taken to the prince. Where exactly, I do not know - only our commander is privy to his location."

Not sure of what to start with, Keith was relieved when Shiro stepped in. "How can we find your commander?"

With a snort, she didn't bother to look at the man as she replied, " _You_ , of all people, hardly have to search for him."

Sendak, Keith realized. Going back to the Galra's previous comments, he asked, "Do you have a base of operations or weapons cache nearby?"

"Yes."

"To which?"

"Both. But I can assure you, your friends are not at either."

"Doesn't matter," Keith scowled, "we need to know those locations."

"You do," Sina agreed. Her expression turned sad as she glanced down. "But I won't tell you anything more."

Blinking in confusion, he huffed, "What? Why?" A sense of dread washed over him when the Galra looked back up, a sardonic grin on her face.

"Because you have company."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: so company....yeah... the questions do continue, Keith is shaken by a startling revelation, a team member loses control, and more! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	48. Interview With A Galra Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith demands and gets answers, but is he satisfied with what he learns? Plus, what company was Sina implying?

"What the fuc- quiznak?!" Lance, naturally, was the first to react to the Galra's ominous statement.

As casually as if she was discussing the weather, Sina replied, "The fast one was quite foolish to bring me here, to where they kept Prorok. Sendak, Haxus, and who knows how many others are preparing to raid this," she looked around with contempt, "house at any moment."

Had Keith not known better, he would've thought Hunk was the one with super-speed as the large man barreled up the stairs at hearing the captive's comment. Pidge, who'd been blinking in shock, followed Hunk a moment later in their usual zippy manner. Lance's response to the Galra, "that's bullsh-" was cut-off when a guttural, animal growl sounded from upstairs. Hunk, Keith realized and glanced at his partner; the brunette's cocky grin had melted from his face as the words died on his lips. Coran, equally disturbed, muttered a weak assurance then headed upstairs to check on the duo. Turning to Shiro, Keith was relieved to see the equally cynical look in the other man's eyes.

Focusing back on the smirking captive, he taunted, "You shouldn't look so smug. If they are here, they're here to kill you."

To his surprise, Sina didn't look bothered by that statement. In fact, she went on to say, "Actually, they'll drag me back to the base, extract whatever information they deem useful, and then kill me." At the blank stares at her bluntness, she snorted. "Don't feign shock or concern: you all know your fast friend sentenced me to death the moment they took me. My only solace is that Sendak will surely shoot them somewhere painful in retaliation."

Trying not to let the roar and muffled shouts from above distract him (too much), Keith decided to reason with their captive. "Then help us. Talk to us. We can protect you."

The Galra's sudden fit of laughter caused all three men to flinch. Between huffs and chortles, she said, "You, protect me? You can hardly protect yourselves."

Keith didn't know how to respond to that; fortunately, Shiro did. "We can if we work together. Please. I understand you can't tell us where our friends are. But the base and weapons caches - those you can. We want to do more than confiscate weapons; our aim is to stop Zarkon from finding Voltron and conquering our world." Taking a step forward, he asked softly, "It's your world too, isn't it? Pidge said you have a life back in Hawaii; don't you miss that? You don't have to fight in this war at all, for us or him; all we want is answers, please."

Several moments passed, during which the only noises to be heard beyond their respective breathing was the ruckus from above. Just when Keith had given up and was ready to resort to, well, he hadn't decided on what tactic yet, Sina finally answered, "Only at the base can you access our network. You are fortunate to have a Galra," she glanced at Keith, "among your group, he'll be able to activate the equipment. The base itself is located beneath Universal City Walk, and it is heavily guarded at all times." Keith, being unfamiliar with the area, hoped his friends knew the area she mentioned and could provide some insight when asked later. "As for our caches, there are three: Garden of the Gods, Guilty Pleasures in Hollywood, and...Javier's."

Lance's eyes bugged out as he screeched, "No way, that's not possible!"

"He's right," Shiro murmured thoughtfully. "I've read Rolo and Nyma's minds; they have no knowledge of the Galra."

Turning to raise an eyebrow at Shiro, she mocked, "Don't they? They may not know our name or our business, but they're happy to give us access to the building's cellar so long as we provide generous compensation."

Another roar sounding from upstairs, followed by a series of frantic footsteps and clanging, cut off whatever Lance had been about to say. Cursing, the brunette looked to Keith and Shiro and insisted, "We gotta go help them, guys."

"Then _you_ go," Keith huffed, knocking away the other man's hand reaching for his. He knew he was being rude, and selfish, but in this moment he didn't care - he wasn't done just yet. Though his body tensed and chest ached at Lance's hurt expression, Keith refused to budge as he watched his partner stomp up the stairs.

After giving the shorter man a disapproving look, Shiro focused on Sina. "Pidge got shot with something that inhibited their power; what's that called? Do the Galra have other weapons at their disposal?"

"Does it matter?" She glibly shot back. Not intimidating at all by his or Keith's scowls, Sina rolled her eyes.

When she made no move to speak further, Keith decided to toss decorum to the wind and ask the question he'd been dying to since he first laid eyes on Sina. "We look alike...are we...?"

"All Galra are related." Sensing his confusion, she explained, "Zarkon is the sole pure-blood, and he is our progenitor in every sense of the word. Though hybrids are allowed lovers, it is forbidden for us to reproduce; to do so is heresy and will result in immediate extermination. Zarkon is our sire...but not yours, it seems." She raked her gaze over him from head-to-toe. "One of your parents must've been a defector. Perhaps we are descendants of the same consort? It would not be uncommon, Zarkon does have his favorites that he frequents."

Imagining grumpy ol' cat-bat (as Lance liked to call him) picking up human women to impregnate was as disgusting as it was hilarious; grimacing, Keith thrust the disturbing idea from his mind. Though he was disappointed that Sina didn't have a clear answer for him, he did feel his attitude towards the Galra soften - but just a bit. Relation or not, helpful or not, she still wasn't an ally. Part of him had to wonder if she was even being honest in her answers; time would tell, he mused, when they checked out the caches and base.

Pidge's sudden arrival startled Keith from his thoughts. Normally, the speedster skidded to a stop; now, however, they crashed right into a wall, comically (or horrifically?) sticking within the plaster and twitching violently. Shiro gasped and stepped forward to assist them, halting when Coran rushed down the stairs and cried out, "Don't touch them!" Both Keith and Shiro's eyes widened as they took in the redhead's disheveled appearance: hair fluffed up and out in different directions, remnants of his velvet jacket and shirt hanging in tatters from his shoulders, each leg of his jeans torn crooked at different lengths (left: to the knee, right; to mid-thigh), and missing one shoe. Despite looking worse for wear, Coran graced his friends with a probably-meant-to-be reassuring smile, which would've been more believable had his eyes not looked so out-of-focus and glazed. "Sorry about that, boys. Pidge is just a little high on quintessence. We all are, actually - OH MY GOD KEITH YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THE LUBE. Sina here exaggerated about the army bit; only Sendak and his little friend are attacking us. But we could really use your help upstairs - SHIRO, DON'T EAT THE GUMBO NO MATTER WHAT HE SAYS - not everyone is taking to it as well as me and Pidge. So how are things down here?" The speedster flopped free from the wall and splatted backward onto the floor, twitching involuntarily, tiny bits of plaster and paint flakes stuck to their face.

Face-palming, Shiro encouraged Coran to stay downstairs with Pidge to guard Sina. Keith, picking up on the cue, hurried to refasten the now-cranky captive's gag headgear. Both men seemed to silently agree to ignore the redhead's random exclamations (visions?), Shiro because it made little sense and Keith because of the possible embarrassing implication. Allowing the taller man to take the lead, Keith trailed close behind as they headed up the stairs. Pausing as he turned the knob, Shiro glanced back at his friend and warned, "Hunk, Lance, and maybe even the clones, if they've all really been shot multiple times with quintessence, may be reacting just as bad, if not worse, than the others. We have to be ready."

With that in mind, Keith was prepared to see dozens of clones, Hunk lumbering around in bear form, maybe even a floating-into-the-ceilings Lance. The kitchen, he surmised, would be in shambles, as would the rest of the house. Shiro, he suspected, was anticipating the same. When they opened the door and stepped into the small hall, they discovered the kitchen was indeed an utter mess, but it only had one occupant: a wild-eyed, frothy and bloody mouthed bear...rising upon its haunches to its full, intimidating as _holy quiznak_ height and letting out a hair-raising growl. Keith didn't know much about bears, but he didn't need to be an expert to know they were... _quiznak'ed_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	49. Wow, Really?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro find out what happened to the others.

_Remain calm._

_Is that blood?_

_Remain. Calm._

_Where's Lance?_

_No!_

_Seriously, calm down._

Those were the words Keith chanted inwardly, willing his body to obey, which was easier said than done given the bear, Hunk, looked ready to charge. Risking a glance from the corner of his eye, he bit back a gasp at how neutral Shiro's expression was, how relaxed he was in overall body language. Had he not been so scared, Keith might've marveled at the other man's coolheaded demeanor. Turning his attention to Hunk, he was unable to suppress his shiver as the bear let out a fierce growl. Fortunately, his lapse seemed to go unnoticed...or so Keith thought. Not a moment later, a quiet yet insistent voice rang in his mind, 'that's our friend, he's scared and he needs our help, so you need to calm down.' Puzzled over how foreign yet familiar that voice sounded, Keith startled when it added, 'remember: patience yields focus.' His eyes widened upon realizing Shiro, obviously still feeling the boost from his brush with quintessence, had pushed those last thoughts into his mind.

Another roar tore from the bear's throat, pulling Keith back to the situation at hand. Did the bear get...bigger? It certainly looked angrier, he mused. Stiffening in fear, he silently prayed it wouldn't attack...and silently cursed Shiro for interfering and throwing him off. As the bear crouched to strike, a loud, shrill noise caught its attention as well as that of the two men; all three turned their heads in the direction of the noise, the porch just beyond the kitchen's open backdoor. There, floating like an awkward Peter Pan and peering in the windows, was Lance. Noticing he had everyone's attention, the brunette had the audacity to wave and smile.

"Come on, big guy," he taunted at the bear. "Giving up so easily? You're supposed to chase me, silly. Come on, Hunky boo-boo!"

Never had Keith been more grateful, and exasperated, to see Lance freaking McClain acting like a total goof. Hunk suddenly went from vicious to playful, gave a curious howl before lumbering to the door, barely squeezing through the frame. Keith nearly had a heart attack when the bear swatted up at the flying brunette, only slightly relieved when Lance merely chuckled in response and teased his friend to follow as he led the bear further into the backyard.

Once the two were a respectable distance from the house, Shiro rushed forward to shut the backdoor; though it wouldn't be a deterrent for Hunk should he decide to charge in, Keith appreciated the (false?) sense of security. Letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, he bent over and put his hands on his knees, hanging his head and trying not to dwell (too) hard over Hunk's behavior towards them in bear form versus his towards Lance. They've been friends for a long time, he reminded himself, it wasn't personal - Hunk's still your friend. _Right._ Shiro seemed to take it in stride, clearly not experiencing an internal crisis, leaning against a counter and crossing his ankles at the front.

Irked by the other rman's composure, Keith might've sounded a bit harsher than intended when he said, "D-don't do that again, push thoughts in my head."

"I won't." Shiro didn't look or sound apologetic, which Keith actually appreciated; a simple vow was more than sufficient. The injured man wondered aloud, "What happened to everyone else? And what about Sendak and Haxus?"

"We probably should've asked Coran before we headed up here." Ignoring the growls and laughter mingling in the background, Keith peered into the living room. Other than a knocked over sofa and broken coffee table, the room was otherwise undisturbed; it was also unoccupied. "Maybe they're upstairs? As for the Galra...it seems too quiet for them to still be around. I'm gonna check the front, to be certain."

Brushing off the other man's concern - _so what if they shoot me, Shiro?!_ he mentally sneered - Keith walked through the living room to the entryway. The front door was shut and locked, though the new array of small holes decorating the wood were a clear indicator of earlier gunfire. Taking a shaky breath, Keith flipped the lock and wrenched the door open, stepping out onto the front stoop.

Unless he dared to venture past the property, he couldn't be 100% no Galra were lurking around; however, glancing around, Keith didn't spot anything suspicious and no shots were fired his way. Pausing for a minute or two, presenting the perfect opportunity for any would-be snipers, he sighed when nothing happened and headed back inside, locking the door once more. To his surprise, Shiro was standing by the stairs gesturing for him to follow as he made his way upstairs. Still a smidgen miffed at the other man, Keith grudgingly trailed a step behind his friend.

Having never ventured upstairs before, Keith was unfamiliar with the layout. Shiro, however, showed no hesitation as he made his way down the hall. Passing by several closed doors, he paused only outside of one. A bedroom? Keith mused. The other man raised a hand, rasping his knuckles gently against the door and calling out, "Guys-" No sooner had the word left his mouth than the door wrenched open, two skinny sets of arms yanking Shiro inside. Keith stepped forward, peering inside and gaping at the swarm (there was no nicer way to put it) of clones all but smothering the other man in their collective embrace. Truly, there were probably only 10 in total, but their enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming.

"Keith!" Turning at the sound of his name, his eyes widened upon seeing a grinning Shay sitting on the floor. Waving him over, she waited until he joined her before asking, "How'd it go with Sina?"

 _Seriously?_ Blinking, it took him a few moments to respond. "Um, okay I guess...w-what the heck is going on? Hunk just tried to kill us...?"

"Oh, was he back in the kitchen?" 

Shaking his head at his friend's casual attitude, Keith asked, "What happened down there?" 

Shay looked surprised. "Coran said he was going downstairs to check on you...did he not tell you? Two Galra were skulking outside. They tried to break into the house but Hunk put a stop to that." Her voice grew solemn as she continued, "Unfortunately, they weren't scared enough to leave the property entirely. They shot him several times, though I guess I should be grateful they used some type of darts instead of bullets because otherwise he'd...H-Hunk lost control, started trying to attack everyone...except me. He still seemed to recognize me, so I distracted him so the clones could get away; they ran up here. By then Coran and Pidge came upstairs, and that nearly set Hunk off again. I urged them to hide, from him as well as the Galra if they were lurking about - of course they didn't listen. Pidge ran from the kitchen to the living room, and Hunk chased them; Coran and I hurried after them when we heard Pidge scream. I thought Hunk had attacked Pidge but...they'd been shot with that other substance, the one that slows them down...Pidge was fighting off the bigger Galra. Hunk was busy taking a...bite...out of the smaller one. The big one had them in a chokehold with one hand and fired shots out of his other; he hit Coran with quintessence, I guess, as he'd started suddenly blurting out random things about the future. I almost got shot, too, but Hunk released his Galra and went after the other one. The big one dropped Pidge and ran outside; Hunk would've caught him if the smaller Galra hadn't been lucid enough to shoot Pidge with quintessence. They started zipping out of control, drawing Hunk's attention and he chased after them again. Coran tried to intervene, but he nearly got ravaged in the process. I stepped in and tried to get him to go back to the basement; during all that, I must've missed the big Galra escaping with the injured one because they were gone by the time Lance arrived. I think the big one lingered on the porch, though, because Lance did get hit, luckily with only one dart. He shot out the back door and provided distraction for Hunk, enough that Coran and I got away; Pidge zoomed by us, heading for the basement, and Coran went after them. I looked out the window and made sure the boys were okay, then I headed to check on the clones."

Worried that maybe he made the wrong call by leaving Lance and Hunk alone, Keith sprung into action and gave little thought to the others as he scurried back downstairs. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay - I wrote and then re-wrote this chapter TEN FREAKING TIMES, it was just not working for me. I finally reached the point where I was like 'stop nitpicking, just get it out there already.' So yeah. Hopefully it's still enjoyable! Next chapter is almost done and will be up regular time. ^_^
> 
> Next up: time for the gang to check out those caches, starting with Javier's...also - Lance and Keith cuteness, and more. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	50. You Play Dirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group recovers and discusses how to proceed. Lance gets his smoochy time with Keith (finally). And the boys prepare to check out the first Galra weapons cache.

_Lance was okay_ ; Keith wasn't sure how long he stood in the kitchen, watching out the window as the brunette flew about, playing _freaking_ tag with a bear. An hour or two, maybe? It didn't matter much, he thought, because his relief at finding his partner unharmed outweighed everything else.

Slowly the others began to join him in the kitchen. First Shay, who leaned against the counter beside him to observe the odd duo out the window. Next came Shiro surrounded by his entourage of clone admirers; using his charm, he convinced two to pickup the living room and the others to assist in guarding the captive in the basement. Though reluctant to leave his side, the clones were eager to please the object of their affection as they did his bidding. Keith tore his eyes away from the window to shoot Shiro a look, snickering at the other man's sheepish grin. Soon after Pidge zipped upstairs, still a tad twitchy and glitchy but otherwise mostly normal. Their voice hardly echoed when they greeted everyone. Coran followed several moments laters, though he expressed concern about leaving the clones alone with Sina for too long so his appearance was only brief before he returned to the basement. By the time a giggling Lance and a human - and very naked - Hunk came inside, the others had managed to prop up the kitchen table, salvage one of the chairs, and clear most of the debris.

Keith immediately tugged the brunette to his side, wrapping an arm around his waist in hopes of conveying his joy at seeing the other man again; Lance's answering squeeze made it clear he felt the same. Rolling his eyes at Pidge's gag noises in the background, the mulleted man placed peck to his partner's jaw then turned his attention back to the group.

Ignoring the stares from everyone, Hunk asked Pidge if there were any spare clothes that could possibly fit him, sighing in relief when the speedster rushed upstairs to get him pants. Once they returned, he tugged on the nearly too-tight and definitely too-short joggers. More confident now that he was covered, Hunk addressed his friends. "Sorry, guys, for scaring you. The quintessence overload was literally too much for me to handle. I, um, kinda blacked out for part of it I think. Did I really bite some Galra dude?"

Lance, ever keen to draw attention to him, cheerily replied, "Heck yeah, it was quiznaking awesome! I think you took a chunk out of the little bugger's leg. If he survives, he's gonna be hella pissed at you - OW!" He screeched when Pidge punched him in the arm at the same moment Keith pinched his side.

Hunk, whose face had fallen upon hearing the news, looked to his girlfriend for comfort. Shay hugged him and insisted, "You have nothing to feel guilty about. That runt deserved it for terrorizing us, not to mention shooting up Pidge and Matt's front door!"

"You also saved my life," Pidge's voice was thick with emotion. "All of you, I can't thank you enough." To Keith and Shiro, they asked, "While we were busy dealing with those two bozos, did you manage to get anything useful out of Sina? Or did she continue to give you a hard time?"

Keith relayed the results of their interrogation, Shiro chiming in where appropriate. The others looked concerned at learning the base and cache locations, particularly in regards to Javier's. Lance cursed again and snarled, "Rolo and Nyma have a lot of explaining to do. I can't believe they'd stoop so low." Not wanting to point out how the couple technically wasn't aware of the Galra's intent - _because screw those two for having fooled around with Lance_ \- Keith kept silent and nodded to placate his partner.

Shiro sighed tiredly, his appearance growing more pale as the night progressed and the excitement died down. "I say we start with Javier's, tomorrow afternoon; it shouldn't be too busy at that time of day. If not everyone wants to go, at least three of us should in case there's any Galra present. As for tonight... How do we want to handle guarding Sina? In case she tries to escape or the Galra come back, Pidge and the clones will need backup." He turned to the speedster and smiled. "I'd like to stay, if you're comfortable with that."

Pidge rolled their eyes. "As if you have a choice. I'm gonna have my hands full as it is without suffering from your fanboy platoon's pining over your absence." Snickering at Shiro's blush, they asked the rest, "Does anyone else want to stay? Coran told me earlier he was going to."

When Lance moved to speak, Keith pinched his side again. The brunette shot him an annoyed look, his expression softening in understanding at seeing the plea in his partner's eyes. Lips lifting at the corners, Lance remained silent and watched as Hunk agreed to stay the night there. Shay tried to volunteer as well, but her boyfriend insisted she go home and rest. Seeing the opportunity to allay any questions, Keith declared, "Lance and I will go with her, keep an eye on the house. If anything happens, we're close enough to get here quickly."

Leaving the townhouse an hour later, Keith and Lance opted to catch a ride with Shay in Hunk's car, the trio driving in relative silence. He wasn't sure if Lance remembered his earlier comments about how he wanted to spend the night, but Keith intended to make good on his own - assuming the other man wasn't too tired. Lance accepted his Galra heritage, not to mention risked his life tonight after Keith had practically pushed him to do it. If the brunette had been injured or... No, Keith refused to finish that thought. Glancing at his partner, his breath caught in his throat at how beautiful Lance's smile was, now aimed right at him. Had they been alone in the car, he would've closed the distance in the backseat and kissed him right there; as it were, he resisted the temptation and simply enjoyed the view. Soon, Keith assured himself.

 

* * *

 

It turned out, Lance did remember his promise from earlier in the day. The moment he got Keith inside the guest bedroom, the brunette's mouth crashed down onto his partner's, lips parted and tongue desperately seeking entrance. Shivering, Keith complied, allowing the other man to plunder his mouth while he raked his fingers through Lance's hair, tugging on the strands and eliciting a groan from his throat. Allowing himself to be led to the bed, Keith sighed and moved his hands down Lance's back as the brunette managed to push him down and climb on top without breaking their kiss.

Inwardly cursing at his growing arousal, Keith flipped the other man over to his side, running his hands up Lance's arms to cradle his face. Pulling back, he smirked when the brunette whined and tried to follow. "We have all night," he crooned as he traced Lance's cheekbones with the tips of his middle and pointer fingers. His smile widened when the other man shut his eyes tightly and groaned.

"It's hard," Lance whimpered.

"To take it slow?"

"That, and my dick." He giggled at Keith's huff of indignation, opening his eyes and tangling his legs with the other man's. Tugging his still pouty partner closer, Lance nuzzled his nose against the other's and whispered, "We should probably get undressed if we're gonna stay in bed, babe."

"No," Keith softened his denial with a quick kiss. His voice was teasing when he added, "If you can hardly handle me now, you definitely can't handle me naked."

Lance made a choking noise. "Babe, I meant strip down to our underwear."

" _Babe_ , I'm not wearing any." The brunette's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open; Keith chuckled at how comical and earnest his partner was with his all expressions and reactions. It was also quite adorable. Closing the distance between their mouths, he tried not to think too hard on the fluttering feeling in his chest as their lips connected once more.

 

* * *

 

Staying up to kiss Lance all night had seemed like a good idea at the time. No, scratch that: a great idea. And truthfully, it was... But that didn't stop Keith from grumbling as he rolled out of bed the next morning. Flipping his finger at the chipper brunette cuddling against the pillows - how was it even possible for someone to be so perky on no sleep? - he shut the bathroom door and turned on the shower. Making quick work of removing his clothes, Keith jumped right under the icy spray and shivered as he lathered up his hair and body. Once thoroughly rinsed clean, he turned off the water and hopped out, grabbing the nearest towel and briskly rubbing his body in hopes of generating some warmth. Tugging back on his jeans but opting to leave them unbuttoned, he finished freshening up then returned to the bedroom, fighting back a smile as Lance leaned forward and puckered his lips.

"Brush your teeth, then we'll see about that." Snickering at his partner's disgruntled scowl, he turned to dig a clean shirt out of his backpack. At the sound of the other man closing the bathroom door, Keith paused to locate his cellphone and text Shiro asking time they should go to Javier's. Slipping the phone into his back pocket, he selected a heather grey tank top and pulled it on. As he combed his fingers through his damp hair, Lance emerged from the bathroom.

"Now do I get my good morning smooch?" Rolling his eyes at the brunette, he tugged the other man in for a kiss; he'd intended for it to be chaste, but then Lance had to go and involve his tongue and teeth. Sighing as his partner nibbled on his lower lip, Keith slid his hands into the belt loops of the other man's shorts and tugging his hips closer. Pleased at Lance's gasp, he gave a nip of his own before ending the kiss. "You play dirty."

"You have no idea." Whatever Lance wanted to say in response to that was cut off by the sound of Keith's phone buzzing. Extracting himself from his partner's embrace, the mulleted man checked his messages. Keith's voice was all-business when he said, "Shiro wants us to meet him at the bar at noon."

"Oh." Lance's brows furrowed. "Did he tell you how last night went? I know no one called us but still..."

Typing out another message to Shiro, Keith shrugged. "I'm waiting to hear on that." Putting his phone away again, he asked, "Do you want to borrow some of my clothes?" The brunette asked for a shirt, to which Keith tossed him a clean navy tshirt. When Lance changed his shirt, the other man (shamelessly) watched as those beautiful, bronzed, trim muscles were revealed - he also pouted when Lance's upper body was covered by the new top.

"If you're done ogling my hot bod, want to grab breakfast before we head to Javier's? Do we have time?"

Noting how hungry - for food - his partner looked, Keith didn't bother to check his phone as he replied, "Of course." He'd make time, dammit, he thought. As if sensing the other man's silent comment, Lance smiled and grabbed his hand, leading him down to the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

"You're late." Shiro said in lieu of greeting as the couple landed in the parking lot by his motorcycle. Keith was pleased to see the other man looked rested, his complexion a much healthier shade. Shiro's no-nonsense attitude was in full swing, too, he mused.

Stepping out of Lance's embrace, he asked, "You didn't answer my text: how did last night go?"

"I'm surprised Pidge and Hunk weren't flooding you guys with the play-by-play." Shrugging, he said, "It actually wasn't that eventful. Pidge and Hunk took turns patrolling the neighborhood, while Coran and I took turns watching Sina with the clones. We all managed to get some sleep here and there throughout the night." He paused to look over Lance and Keith. "You two look like you didn't get any sleep. Anything I should know about?" Flashing a hint of dimple with his smile at their blushes, Shiro sighed, "Let's get this over with, yeah?"

As the trio walked towards the building, Keith wondered aloud, "Should we talk to Nyma or Rolo first? Do either of you know where to access the cellar?" Given there were no doors leading from the outside, he suspected the entrance might be in one of the bar's backrooms; however, he knew they wouldn't be able to just sneak past the staff.

"I'll take care of it." Keith turned to look at Lance, the other man's eyes as troubled as he voice had sounded. Though he felt not a modicum of pity towards the duped, dubious duo that ran the bar, his stomach did tighten for his partner and the uncomfortable confrontation about to take place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	51. You Know, Macgyver Had A Mullet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lies, theft, flirting, and more... These boys are up for whatever it takes to get into that cellar and stick it to the Galra.

Javier's had few patrons inside, as was to be expected on a weekday afternoon. Most seemed busy nursing their drinks and own discussions to pay Keith, Shiro, and Lance any mind when they entered the establishment, but the men agreed to avoid making a scene if possible. As Rolo was tending the bar, and Lance couldn't stop glaring at the other man, Shiro and Keith knew the situation could prove volatile. Though the brunette had expressed his intention to question the blonde behind the bar, Keith decided to take the lead, sauntering ahead of his partner and propping his elbows against the bartop. Rolo, who'd been rearranging the glassware, noticed the trio's arrival and flashed them a bright smile as he approached.

"Looks like you boys found 'ShiroKuru' without my help," Rolo's lips twitched at mentioning Shiro's 'Voltron' screen name. Eyes raking over Lance, he flirted, "What'll you have today, good lookin'?"

Before the brunette could say something stupid or cutting, Keith blurted out, "Actually, we're not here for drinks. I wanted to ask you about the cellar here, heard you're renting the space out." He inwardly cheered as the blonde's smile faltered. Was he worried? Good, Keith thought bitterly.

"Who'd you hear that from?"

Unwilling to share too much of his knowledge on the arrangement or the source of his information, Keith debated about what to tell the other man; fortunately, Shiro seemed to have an idea and spoke up. "We think they're up to something illegal, Rolo. I overheard one of the guys talking about weapons."

Rolo looked dubious, crossing his arms and leaning back. "If you suspect they're up to something, why aren't you going to the cops?"

 _Yeah, why not, Shiro?_ Keith glanced at the other man. Shiro didn't seem flustered by the scrutiny from either the blonde or his friends, a sad smile crossing his face as he said, "You're Lance's friend - we didn't want to do anything drastic without talking to you first. Plus that guy could've been lying." The casual lies just rolled off Shiro's tongue; almost too well, Keith thought with a frown.

When Rolo shot Lance a questioning look, the brunette nodded and solemnly backed his friend's story, "I didn't want to blindside you like that, man. We're friends." It must've pained him to say the words, Keith mused, but Lance sure was convincing as Rolo's guard seemed to drop.

Clearly flattered by Lance's 'thoughtfulness,' Rolo addressed his friend. "Thanks, man." Sighing wearily, he rubbed a hand over his face. "I dunno what I'm gonna do about this, though. Those guys pay a damn high amount for that crappy little space, and they're hella intimidating. Even if that weren't the case, I'm not a narc, you know? Help me out, Lance, what do you think I should do?" Keith wasn't sure he fully believed Rolo, but he recognized the opportunity the blonde just presented them; he hoped Lance did, too.

He did. Lance offered, "If a call has to be made, I'll do it. But maybe we should check to see if there's anything worth reporting. If none of them are there now, I'm willing to help you out and take a peek, make sure nothing shady is going on." When the blonde seemed hesitant to accept, the brunette added, "I can go by myself if you're worried about these two goons," he pointed his thumbs at Keith and Shiro, "messing stuff up down there."

That seemed to do the trick, as Rolo shrugged and replied, "Nah, it's cool. The door to the cellar is in the kitchen, right across from the walk-in refrigerator. Nobody's been by today, but it might be better if you take one of your buddies. If any of those dudes do come by, I'll keep them busy while your other buddy can warn you."

Shiro didn't have to be a mindreader to know Lance would want Keith to go with him; gesturing for the couple to go on ahead, he turned to Rolo and ordered a cherry coke. Keith was reluctant to leave their friend, but Lance took ahold of his hand and tugged him along around the bar. Pushing the double-doors to the kitchen open, they glanced around to make certain the room was unoccupied before moving onto the alleged cellar door.

Both men paused as they examined the seemingly ordinary metal door with an old-fashioned combination lock attached to a metal closure. Rolo conveniently forgot to mention the lock...not that it mattered, Keith thought with a snicker. Ignoring the curious look from his partner, he reached for the lock and leaned his head close, angling it so his ear was nearly pressed against it. Before turning the dial, he urged the other man, "Keep quiet."

"Pfft, what? You're Magyver now or something?"

"I don't know who that is." Rolling his eyes at the brunette's scandalized expression, he decided to shut Lance up another way. "Hey Lance?"

The brunette was still annoyed at his lack of recognition of...Macliver, was it? "What?!"

"I love you. Now be quiet." Pleased at his partner's flush, Keith spared him a small smile then focused on figuring out the correct combination for the lock. He'd had enough experience breaking into lockers in junior high and high school - his own, or so he claimed - that he felt confident in his ability to discern the clicks when reaching the appropriate numbers.

It ended up taking him two tries, much to his chargin, but Lance looked thoroughly impressed. "Babe, you're like a master thief! That's as sexy as it is terrifying!"

Chuckling at the brunette's enthusiastic response, Keith pocketed the lock, because no way was he leaving it up here and risk someone locking them in the cellar. That thought gave him pause, as he began to wonder if this was all too easy. To Lance, he murmured, "What if Rolo lied, or Sina did?"

"Only one way to find out," was the brunette's response as he reached out to turn and pull the handle. Yanking the door open, he and Keith both held their breath as they were met with darkness. Lance looked (adorably) helpless when faced with the issue of being unable to see; Keith, rolling his eyes, channeled his power to light up his hands and push forward, nodding for his partner to follow him down the stairs.

How did the Galra navigate up and down these stairs without light? Keith wondered as he glanced about and realized there were no light switches or fixtures. Flashlights? Lanterns? Snorting at the thought of Sendak having to carry a candle, the noise choked off into a gasp in Keith's throat as they neared the bottom of the stairs and the cellar contents became visisible.

Two (obviously filled) knapsacks were on the floor next to a thin, wooden bench covered. Though curious about the contents of those bags, Keith's attention was fixed on the mural of photographs decorating the side wall. Photos of all of them. Hunk kissing Shay in their driveway. A blur, no doubt meant to be Pidge, outside of their townhouse. Matt smiling while vacuuming his living room. A closeup of Allura and Coran's faces lit up with laughter. Lance, armed with shopping bags, entering his apartment building. Shiro, head down, tattooing a client's thigh at his shop. And Keith himself standing shirtless in front of his 'conspiracy wall' in Hunk's guest bedroom. ...He'd never felt so violated in all his life. Wordlessly, Lance shouldered past him to get a closer look at the pictures. Keith's eyes widened when the other man suddenly ripped them all down, viciously tearing each photo up before tossing the remnants to the ground.

Shaking himself from his stupor, Keith reached for one of the knapsacks and, upon realizing how heavy it was, undid the side zipper to poke around inside. Guns and ammo, as he'd suspected: to be precise, three handguns, two longer barreled firearms, and two varieties of liquid-filled bullets, some with the familiar looking quintessence and the others containing something else. The unnamed inhibitor, he reasoned. Zipping the knapsack back up, he turned to Lance, who'd ceased his rage against the pictures and was humming thoughtfully.

"This one's filled with guns and ammo; the other one looks like it is, too. We've got to take these but..."

"But what?" Lance raised an eyebrow as he swung the other bag over his shoulder, letting out a huff over the weight.

"The Galra will know we were here." Grudgingly, he admitted, "I don't like Rolo, but he's going to get hell from them."

"Maybe, maybe not. But so what if he does? Jerk deserves it for aiding the enemy, I don't care how much blood money they shove at him."

Sighing, he hoisted the knapsack on his shoulder. After some back and forth with Lance, they agreed Keith should lead the way back upstairs, as visibility would continue to be an issue for the other man until he reached nearer the kitchen above. With that, Keith walked ahead, allowing his partner to place a hand on his shoulder to steady himself.

Back in the kitchen, Keith shut the door and replaced the combination lock, spinning the dial to reset the mechanism. Now, he mused, came the tricky part - "How are we going to do this? Rolo will notice us carrying these bags out."

Seemingly unconcerned - _of course he wasn't_ \- Lance gently placed his knapsack on the floor and pulled his cellphone out of his back pocket. Tapping away at the screen, he murmured, "I'll go out there and distract Rolo, give you and Shiro a chance to sneak out the back door." Though Keith questioned how well that plan would actually work, he remained silent as he watched the brunette put his phone away. Lance leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his lips, whispering "don't worry" then headed out front.

Shiro entered the kitchen a few minutes later, looking dubious as he picked up the abandoned bag. Waving the other man along, he pushed open the doors and walked ahead; Keith mutely followed, feeling nerve-induced sweat beads trickle down his temples. Resolutely he kept his gaze locked on the back of Shiro's head, tensing in anticipation of someone - Rolo - calling them out. A movement from the corner of his eyes caused him to spare a glance towards the bar, and he nearly stumbled when he spotted Lance giggling and giving what appeared to be a scalp massage to Rolo, whose eyes were closed and expression was blissed out. Ignoring the pang of jealousy in his stomach, _because Lance was only doing that to provide a distraction_ , Keith forced his eyes forward again and sped up, relieved to finally reach the parking lot.

Hanging out by Shiro's motorcycle, both men placed their bags on the pavement while waiting for Lance to return. Keith shot down the other man's attempts to engage in conversation, grunting in response to anything asked; he also refused to acknowledge the sympathetic expression on Shiro's face. What felt like hours later was, in reality, only minutes before Lance walked through the backdoor and joined them outside. At least, Keith thought, the brunette had the decency to look apologetic.

"How should we transport the bags?" Shiro asked. He lifted one of the bags with his prosthetic arm to test its weight once more. "I'll take one. If it's too much for you, Lance, to fly with Keith and the other bag, I can give him a ride."

Lance frowned, thinking it over for a minute. Regretfully, he confessed, "The added weight of the bag will make it trickier to fly." Turning to Keith, he kissed the other man's cheek. "I'll meet you at Pidge's, okay?"

Nodding, Keith watched as his partner slipped one bag's strap over his shoulder then stepped back, propelling up into the sky a moment later. Taking the other bag from Shiro's extended hand, he secured it to his back then mounted the motorcycle behind his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith's familiarity with opening old-style/basic combination locks is inspired by my own experiences in junior high and high school. I cannot tell you how many classmates I helped figure out their combos when they'd forgotten them. 
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> Thank you for reading! Your kudos, comments, and clicks always bring a smile to my face. <3


	52. But Answer Me This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro arrive at Pidge's townhouse. Keith gets some more Q&A time with their Galra captive and learns more than one curious bit of information.

By the time Shiro pulled up to Pidge's townhouse, Keith's stomach was roiling. He and his friends had lucked out with the first weapons cache, pilfering the small supply without encountering any resistance; would the next prove just as easy? (Probably not, he thought grimly.) And how would the Galra retaliate? With Sendak in command, their attacks were far more methodical than those under Prorok - whereas the latter had been a straight-up sadist, the former was confident and deliberate in his actions, though just as ruthless if not more so than his predecessor... No, Keith thought, don't think of that, least not yet. Dismounting from the motorcycle, he shifted the heavy knapsack onto his other shoulder and walked up to the front door, Shiro close behind. Had he been in better spirits, he might've chuckled over the sloppy patch-up job done to conceal the door's bulletholes; as it were, he grimaced at the reminder of last night's attack as he lifted a hand to knock.

Coran opened the door a moment later, torn clothing from last night replaced with...Keith blinked at the other man's outfit: bright yellow dress shirt topped with a red velvet blazer, white leather (holy quiznak, were those really leather?!) pants, and red patent leather loafers. Obviously he'd picked up his clothing from Shiro's place, or went on a shopping spree in the morning, because no way did he borrow any of those pieces from the homeowners.

"Greetings, fellow paladins! Welcome," the redhead bowed with flourish, gesturing for his friends to enter. Ignoring Coran's theatrics, Keith muttered a 'hey' and stepped inside, heading straight to the living room where he could make out the voices of Lance and Pidge; Shiro behind him paused to engage the redhead in conversation, but Keith paid them little attention, more concerned with seeing his partner.

Lance and Pidge, he discovered, were playing a video game, exchanging taunts as their characters clashed in battle. The game was unfamiliar to Keith; most were, as he hardly had time or opportunity to game living in the middle of the desert. Fighting back the twinge of homesickness he suddenly felt, he decided to announce his presence to the duo. "Hey." Pidge acknowledged his greeting with a nod and grunt, eyes glued to the television. When Lance turned to face him, Keith forced himself to smile.

The brunette paused the game, earning an outraged cry from the speedster. Frowning, he asked Keith, "Babe, what's wrong? Did something happen?" That caused Pidge to shift to study him as well, brows furrowed.

Warring between miffed and pleased by how perceptive his partner and friend were, he took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering honestly, "No, but it will, won't it?" Gently placing the knapsack on the carpeted floor, Keith walked further into the room. "They'll soon learn what we did, if they haven't already. What happened last night could happen again, or worse. They'll know Sina talked, and they won't stop until they kill her - and maybe us, too, depending on how angry they are. With Matt and Allura as their captives, maybe they can afford to lose more of us." Pausing to take a shaky breath, he continued, "Force him to create several clones, shoot them up with quintessence, they'll provide a bigger signal boost than any of us. And that's assuming shooting up so many of us last night didn't give them enough juice to find 'Voltron,' if it is on Earth." Realizing how thin his voice had gotten, he promptly shut up and waited for one of the others to respond.

Lance, as usual, was the first. "Well yeah but, other than that, you good?" Face-palming at the brunette's ridiculousness, Keith did feel a smidgen calmer for it.

Pidge's following comment threatened to send him into a panic, as they pointed out, "Oh, the backlash will definitely be worse. We - well, you two and Shiro - robbed them, Sina's still in my basement, and Hunk might've crippled, or even killed, Sendak's buddy. You just know Sendak's gonna go full metal Galra on us."

Flinching at the hand clapping down on his left shoulder, Keith glanced at Shiro as the other man replied, "Let him. There'll be no one here for him to attack." Motioning to Coran, who'd come to stand on Keith's right, he explained, "Hunk and Shay should be back from her shop in a couple of hours. We're going after the other two caches and the base. Today. All of us."

The redhead piped in, "I've seen it, in my visions. We wipe out their supplies and storm the base. This'll be where Keith," he nodded to the mulleted man, "puts his Galra to good use and gets us access to their network."

Though he wondered if Coran ever had other visions of him in relation to his heritage, Keith didn't want to bring up the matter in front of everyone else. He was also curious about Sina; did Shiro's 'no one here to attack' and 'all of us' comments include her? Thinking more on the captive - his Galra relative, apparently - he realized he wanted to talk to her again. There was plenty of time until Hunk and Shay returned. Given that the Matt clones weren't around, he figured some if not all of them were on guard duty downstairs. Hoping no one interfered or objected, he informed the others, "I want to question Sina more about our...relation. Alone, please. I-I want to see if she knew my mother."

To his surprise, Pidge looked like they were going to argue; however, Shiro spoke up before they could, agreeing albeit reluctantly. "I think this would be the best opportunity for you to do so. Even though she is restrained, and much more securely than Prorok, there's still the worry she might break free and try to hurt you. Would you be comfortable with two clones waiting outside of the basement door? They won't be able to overhear your conversation - unless you both scream at eachother the entire time, of course - but they'll be close enough to help should you need them." Lance didn't appear pleased with that plan, but the brunette remained silent. Coran nodded in agreement at Shiro's proposal, a small, encouraging smile on his face; upon seeing the redhead's acceptance, the speedster let out a sigh but shrugged as if to say 'eh, okay.'

Pleased, because he'd expected Shiro to insist a clone remain downstairs at all times, Keith smiled in thanks then walked into the kitchen, turning right to enter the hall where the basement door was located. As he reached for the doorknob, Lance's voice rang out from a few feet behind him. "Babe, wait." Inwardly chastising himself for not realizing the brunette had been following him out of the room, he plastered a neutral expression on his face as he turned to face the other man. Lance's blue eyes twinkled as he warned, "Be careful. If anything happens to you before I get to say 'I love you' back, I'll be hella pissed."

Eyes widening at the confession Lance slipped in, Keith murmured a (hopefully) coherent affirmative; smirking, the brunette blew him a kiss then walked back to the living room. Once the other man was out of sight, Keith operated on autopilot as he opened the basement door and walked down the stairs, his footsteps even, almost robotic.

Nine clones were guarding the captive, though he used the term loosely: four were sitting on the floor playing a card game (Crazy Eights, from the looks of it), one was sleeping slumped in a corner, three - to his horror - were standing behind Sina discussing alternative uses for that kind of body harness involving Shiro, and another was reading a book. The missing clone, he suspected, must be at Matt's work posing as the missing man; best not to alert anyone outside their group to his disappearance, right? Clearing his throat to get the clones' attention, he finally had to resort to whistling sharply to rouse the slumbering clone.

"Hey guys. I need to talk to Sina alone for a few minutes. If two of you could hang upstairs near the door in case I need you," he paused. In case any wished to argue, he added, "Shiro's gonna need help from the rest, unloading the bags we brought." The mention of the prosthetic-armed man caused the clones to rush past him for the stairs, squabbling amongst themselves over who would get stuck 'babysitting the mullet' and who would get the privilege of being with Shiro.

Rolling his eyes at their antics, Keith waited until the door clicked shut before acknowledging Sina. The Galra had been staring at him from the moment he reached the final step and came into her line of sight. Stoning his expression to avoid giving away too much of the curiosity and turmoil brewing inside, Keith removed the headgear-gag with clinical detachment, keeping the restraint in one hand should he need to employ it again quickly. Stepping back to avoid any potential spit or bite attempts, his mind sort of blanked on what to say; it took him a minute to remember- "I want to know more about your background. Your parents, where you grew up, how you got roped into Zarkon's quest for Voltron."

"Hello to you, too, pretty," Sina sarcastically quipped. Snorting at his scowl, she said, "I wonder, is your curiosity due to my being Galra, or yours? Perhaps both?" Refusing to let her lead the conversation, Keith repeated his demand(s) and crossed his arms over his chest, tapping the fingers of his unoccupied hand against his forearm. Not bothered in the slightest by his impatient body language, Sina looked amused when she finally answered, "I have told you of my sire, so it must be the breeder you refer to. I know little of her, other than she was Zarkon's second favorite concubine. Rumor has it she was very beautiful, but I was separated from her as a baby so I have no memory of her to compare. I was raised by a Galra druid in Honolulu, and for a brief time his human lover but, when the woman became pregnant, she was brutally executed; as part of his punishment, he was forced to participate in it. He slowly began to unravel, mentally, after that. I fled when I was fourteen and moved among the smaller villages, working where I could and stealing when I could not. That lasted for a few months before Haggar herself came to press me into joining the druids, to replace my adopted guardian. I have served her and Zarkon ever since."

So Haggar was a druid? Keith knew the term meant anything from a magician to a priest, sometimes both depending on the culture. Despite wishing to know more about that, he was honestly more interested in Sina herself - maybe it was because she was an orphan as well, or maybe it was because she was his relative. On that note, he asked, "Is Sina Hakashi your actual name or a pseudonym?"

"It is mine, the last name belonged to my druid guardian."

Slightly disappointed as he'd hoped the name, if really hers, might've been connected to her birth mother, Keith still asked, "You mentioned yesterday that Zarkon would revisit his, um, favorite partners. Have you ever met or heard of any other children that share your mother?"

Sina's eyes narrowed. "Not that I was ever aware of. You wonder about your Galra parent and his or her connection to me? I cannot confirm it irrefutably, but based off our appearances we clearly share an ancestor."

Does that make her his aunt? If her mother was a hybrid - which eww, that'd mean Zarkon slept with his offspring - then Sina could possibly even be his cousin if their moms were sisters. Trying not to be too obvious while assessing her face, Keith wondered how old the Galra was; if he had to guess, he'd say she was close to his age, possibly a few years younger. Aside from their gender, eye color, and eyebrow shape, another glaring difference between the two was her facial tattoo (and his lack of one). Pointing out the area on his one face, he wondered aloud, "Do only female Galra have the tattoo? I remember seeing a blonde woman at Haggar's bar with one, too."

The way she tilted and angled her head was very animal-like, in Keith's opinion. "It is the mark of the druids that serve Haggar."

"But why are you the only druid among the gunmen? I'd think they'd put you to better use, right? Doing, you know, druid stuff..."

"You have no idea what a druid really is, do you?" She deadpanned. Smirking, Sina admitted, "Typically one such as myself would not be assigned to such a task. I put the request directly to Zarkon, using my position as his second favorite concubine's spawn to be granted the position." As if sensing his question, she clarified, "It is considered a high honor to pursue the chosen paladins."

There was that word again, he thought. Keith knew it from the game, but Coran had randomly used it earlier, and now Sina. Chosen paladins? Paladins of what? he wondered. He must've voiced the question aloud without realizing because she suddenly stated, "Voltron, of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, this one was a lot of fun to write. ^_^
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> Next up: Keith talks more with Sina, then it's off to the 2nd weapons cache, and more!
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> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	53. Who's Laughing Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: 'Keith, Your Galra Is Showing'

What was it with these Galra and their cryptic statements? Keith felt torn between wanting to laugh or scream at yet another of Sina's coy ploys. He opted to scoff, "Would that be 'Voltron' as in the game, or Voltron as in the weapon you Galra are hellbent on finding?"

" _Us_ Galra. And both," was the serious response.

Raising an eyebrow - _because, really?_ \- Keith jumped at the opportunity to (hopefully) learn more about the heart of the situation. "Just what kind of weapon is Voltron? How does it work? How is Zarkon going to use it to conquer the world?" Patience was not his virtue, but he impressed himself as he waited a whole ten minutes before snapping at the silent captive. "If you won't divulge your evil plans, will you at least tell me about the system you're using to track Voltron?" When that was similarly stonewalled, Keith debated about re-gagging Sina and calling it a day.

"I take it from your words with the clones, you and the damaged one have been to one of the weapons caches I told you of, yes?" Surprised by the change of topic, Keith nodded; his eyes widened when Sina smiled brightly. Was that a good or bad thing for him and his friends? he wondered. Her next, sharp words shook him from his thoughts. "Make no mistake: I hold no affection towards you, familial or otherwise. Neither your beauty nor our shared heritage motivates me to cooperate with your ridiculous interrogations. No matter what you learn, what tools you have at your disposal, you will never defeat Emperor Zarkon. I am pleased because, now, you may at least provide some entertainment for my kin before they crush you."

 _Ouch_. Keith blinked at her bluntness. Had he expected her to actually want to help them? No. Had he hoped it anyways? Maybe a teeny tiny bit, he grudgingly admitted. Nothing in this investigation, he mused, was straightforward; every scrap of information they uncovered only led to more questions and dangers. And now this Galra, his own...whatever relative, was jerking him around. Not bothering to conceal the anger and disgust in his voice, Keith snarled, "And you make no mistake: you were right, before, when you said I want to hurt you. I _will_ \- by leaving you tied up down here for Sendak to find. Your death will be the only entertainment the Galra are getting; my friends and I will win this war."

Though the smile died from her lips, Sina's eyes glittered with merriment as she murmured, "Spoken like a true Galra."

Scowling, Keith roughly replaced the headgear and gag on her. Sparing Sina one final, pitying glance, he spun on his heel and headed back upstairs. Upon opening the door leading to the hall, he stumbled over Lance, who'd been leaning against the wall beside it. The compassion on the brunette's face was nearly Keith's undoing, as was the warmth radiating from those lean arms wrapped around his middle to steady him. Don't, he mentally chided himself as tears threatened to well in his eyes.

"Babe?" Lance's blue eyes raked over his partner's face, noting the other man's paler-than-usual complexion. "Did you find out anything useful?" Not trusting his voice, Keith shrugged. To his relief, the brunette didn't press him to elaborate; instead, Lance placed a quick kiss to his forehead. "I better make good on my promise, huh?" At first, Keith was puzzled, but his heart soon fluttered as he recalled the other man's earlier words just as Lance said, "I love you." In response, Keith leaned in and pressed his lips against the other man's, pushing aside all thoughts of the Galra, Voltron, and everything _not_ -Lance.

A gagging noise caused the couple to startle apart. How long had they been kissing? Keith wondered, blushing at the realization that his lips were sore and he was sporting a hard-on. _Long enough._ His flush deepened when Pidge chortled at his and Lance's matching... predicaments. The Matt clone that'd been standing beside the speedster stuck his tongue out at the couple and pushed past them to go back down to the basement.

Eyes alight with mischief, Pidge teased, "Please refrain from defiling my hallway - this house has already seen enough horrors in the past few weeks to last a lifetime." Unbothered by Keith and Lance's glares, they went on to say, "Coran and I were talking about grabbing lunch for everybody. Shiro suggested we save Hunk and Shay a trip back this way by getting takeout and meeting them at her shop. Can one of you help me and clone number four wrangle Sina up here?"

Whereas his friend's disruption was a minor annoyance, the reminder of the captive completely soured Keith's mood. Bitterly, he informed them, "She's not coming." Ignoring Lance's gasp and Pidge's groaned 'why is my basement everyone's kill room?,' Keith explained, "She flat-out said her people are going to crush us. Any info she's revealed isn't for our benefit; she's toying with us, like this whole situation is some sick game. Sendak wants her so badly? He can have her."

"You don't really mean that," Pidge insisted, though their voice betrayed their uncertainty.

Rightfully so, Keith thought bitterly, as he replied, "I do."

Lance, recovering from his shock, looked pained. "Babe, she's your family -"

Keith interrupted him, hissing, "No. My parents were my family." He paused to take a shaky breath, expression softening slightly as he added, "You are my family, all of you."

The brunette, still frowning, grunted at that. "Doesn't mean we should up and leave her to die. That's something the Galra would do; we're better than that."

Despite understanding what the other man meant by his statement, Keith wanted to yell a reminder that he _was_ Galra. Opening his mouth to do just that, he was cut off by Pidge. The speedster hastily chimed in, "Seriously, my basement is not a kill room. If we're not taking Sina with us, then I'm setting her free; I'll run her to the airport and make sure she has some money for a ticket, that way she may have a shot at evading Sendak." Not waiting for an answer, the speedster zipped past them twice, once going and coming back up from the basement. Keith was unable to discern if the Galra was actually in their arms when they zoomed by that last time, but he became positive she must have been as the clone walked upstairs a few minutes later, holding the body harness in one hand and the headgear/gag in the other.

Oblivious to the tension between Lance and his partner, the clone cheerily quipped, "Think this would fit Shiro?" Before either man could even think to respond, he shrugged, "Guess there's only one way to find out." Continuing past the couple, the clone called out as he strolled towards the living room, "Shiro? Muffin? You busy?"

Growling in resignation (because the conflict was technically resolved, by Pidge, the second they sped off to free their captive, and therefore not worth perpetuating), Keith awkwardly attempted to make peace with his miffed partner by using the clone's comedic relief to mouth, 'Muffin?' The brunette's answering smirk didn't reach his hardened blue eyes but, the other man thought, it was a start.

...Or was it? Keith began to reconsider.

Given their limited means of transportation, he had to choose between flying with a scowling, still-clearly-disappointed-with-him Lance or have Pidge run him over to Shay's shop, as Shiro'd already offered to take Coran on his motorcycle. Squishing in that taxi with the clones, he reasoned, was not even remotely an option. As much as he didn't want to endure any awkward silence or, worse, blowup from the brunette, Keith was more loathe to experience the vomit-inducing vertigo that accompanied traveling with the speedster. Thus, that was how he found himself a half-hour later, cradled tenderly in Lance's arms while the other man ranted at him in a mix of English and Spanish.

Growing more flustered by the moment, Keith interjected when the brunette finally paused for a breath, "I get that you want to lecture me, but we've been circling above the shop for a while now. If you'd bother to pay attention, you'd notice everyone is outside in the freaking parking lot watching us." Lance flinched upon glancing down and realizing that yes, their friends were in fact waiting on them to land; Coran even waved up at him. Instead of face-palming - as he no doubt would've liked - the brunette settled for thunking his head against Keith's shoulder as he shifted to descend. To avoid reigniting his partner's ire, he coughed to cover his snicker.

No sooner had their feet touched the ground when Shay looked to her boyfriend and, loud enough that her voice carried, asked, "Considering we're literally about to go to Garden of the Gods, why didn't we just text them to not bother landing and fly straight?"

Before Hunk could reply, Pidge sneered, "Because it's funnier this way."

Rolling his eyes at the speedster, Hunk approached the grumpy looking couple. "Hey guys. Wanna hitch a ride with me and Shay? We can stop by In-N-Out on the way, since you missed lunch."

 _And whose fault was that?_ Keith shot Lance a pointed look, huffing in indignation at the matching one he got in return. To Hunk, he answered for them both, "Yeah, we'd like that. Thank you."

Knowing better than to call 'shotgun' for the car - as there was no way Hunk would allow anyone but his girlfriend to ride up front - Lance cried, "I call rightsies!" and scurried ahead of Keith, scrambling to sit behind the driver's seat.

Unable to resist, Keith, after settling in the backseat beside Lance, leaned over to inform the brunette, "You do realize _this_ ," he gestured to the side he was sitting on, "is the right, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Garden of the Gods - clearly the perfect place for megalomaniac Galra to lurk about...
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> Thank you for reading! <3 *hugs*


	54. This Is War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang arrives at Garden of the Gods and get ready to raid that second Galra cache...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments and kind wishes! I was blown away when I logged in and saw your responses, you guys are so awesome. <3 *hugs*
> 
> Without further delay, here is the next chapter...

Only Lance McClain could make a 20 minute drive feel like six hours. The brunette had been determined to make Keith rue that 'right' comment, employing various tactics to grate on the other man's nerves - and solely on his nerves, as neither Hunk nor Shay seemed annoyed by Lance's behavior in the slightest. Initially, Keith tried to ignore the other man obnoxiously cracking his knuckles and clucking his tongue; that lasted for all of two minutes before he snarled a command to 'knock it off.' And Lance did knock it off - he switched to an obnoxious round of 'I Spy' which, to his chargin, Hunk ~~naively~~ happily played along with. Not wanting to insult the big man driving, Keith settled for glaring at the man to his left. When the game eventually died down, the brunette resorted to screech-singing pop songs, most of which Keith didn't recognize...but he didn't need to to know they were terrible. Eyelid twitching, the mulleted man held off for as long as possible before violently launching himself at the other man. Sadist that (Keith had snarled) he was, Lance continued to shrilly belt out the chorus to 'Hollaback Girl' while thwarting any attempts to silence him. Dimly in the back of his mind, Keith acknowledged the other couple had to be deliberately acting oblivious, no doubt amused by the squabbling pair; had he not been so intent on shutting Lance the quiznak up, he might've called them out on it.

It was fortuitous they arrived at Garden of the Gods when they did, Keith mused, because if he had to endure one more cringe-inducing note...

Hunk hadn't even shifted gears to park when the mulleted man bolted from the backseat, slamming the door behind him to muffle Lance's cry of indignation. Making his way over to Shiro, who casually leaned against the park's entrance sign while surrounded by his harem of Matt clones, Keith grit his teeth when greeted with their smug, knowing looks. The distinct lack of the speedster and redhead compelled him to inquire as to their whereabouts, forcing himself to do so as politely as possible despite how much it pained him.

"They're scoping out the terrain, checking for Galra or any indication of where exactly the weapons are being stored," Shiro hummed. "It's not a big place, but still: we don't want to be stuck wandering aimlessly. Even if we are alone out here, we may not be for long."

Nodding in agreement, Keith let out a deep, calming breath, that might've been effective had Lance not chosen that moment to sneak up behind him and loudly whining, "You guys should've waited for me, no one does subtle espionage like this guy," he fingergunned at himself, "right here. One swoop from above and I'd zero right in on that cache with these perfect, _gorgeous_ 20/20 eyes. Tailor. Needle. Threaded."

"You couldn't do subtle if your life depended on it, which it might," Keith hissed, inwardly pleased to see the brunette flush and sputter as the others chuckled in response.

Hunk, finally at his patience with the bickering couple, stepped up and in to diffuse the situation. Clapping a hand on each man's shoulder, and tightening his grip at their respective flinches, he turned to ask Shiro, "How long have they been gone? If there are any Galra around -"

"Not long," Shiro interjected. He clearly didn't have to be a mindreader to understand the other man's train of thought as he added, "Let's give them another couple of minutes, then we can divvy up to search if necessary."

As the remainder of the group (sans a still pouting Lance) discussed plans should they encounter the enemy, Keith deflated, literally and figuratively letting go of the tension, eventually chiming in his own ideas. Shortly after, Pidge zipped up in their trademark manner, albeit this time draped in a wide-eyed Coran.

"-nak," the redhead gulped. It took a moment for his body to register they'd stopped, but once he did Coran let go of the petite speedster and promptly toppled over.

"He's fine," Pidge brushed off with a wave of their hand when Shay moved to help. Pausing to snort at Lance, they then informed the group, "Good news: we found the cavern the Galra are using to store weapons. Bad news: we couldn't actually look inside because there's nealry a dozen Galra guarding it, including Sendak's buddy who's got a mechanical looking replacement leg." To Hunk, they stage whispered, "Should've gone for his jugular, because you just _know_ that thing's weaponized."

Ignoring Hunk's mortified gasp and the clones' cheers at the possibility of seeing a live-action leg cannon, Shiro's voice was sharp when he commanded, "Focus. Regardless of who or how many Galra are there, we have to take them out and confiscate those weapons. Pidge, Coran, how far out is the cavern? And are the Galra spread out or clustered in that specific spot?"

Coran, wobbly rising to his feet, was the one to answer. "About a fifth of a klick northwest. They're," he grimaced, holding back the urge to vomit, "mostly standing together, though three were pacing the perimeter."

"Yeah," the speedster drawled as they crossed their arms over their chest and scowled. "Too close for me to take out without drawing the others' attention. If it had been more than just me and Coran there, I would've risked it."

"You were right to wait. Our powers can only help us so much; we'll need a diversion, and we'll also need to make use of the weapons from Javier's." Shiro's expression was inscrutable as he looked around the group. "We defeat them if we can or, if not, we at least distract them long enough for Pidge and someone else to zoom in and confiscate whatever's in that cave."

"Anyone but me," Coran croaked. Pidge was the opposite of offended, grinning at the redhead's obvious aversion to traveling with them again.

Intending to volunteer, Keith was shocked when Lance beat him to it. "I'll do it. I can fly us outta there if they get hit with that inhibitor stuff."

But what if _you_ get hit with it? Keith wanted to scream. What if the cavern's rigged with explosives or otherwise a trap? Readying himself to voice those concerns, he froze when Lance's hand suddenly found his; glancing sideways at the brunette, his chest tightened at the tenderness glittering the other man's eyes. _No_ , he wanted to cry. Instead, he kept silent as Lance chided, "Tailor. Needle. Threaded. I got this. Plus, I can evade those buggers way better than the likes of you, mullet."

Rolling his eyes - because seriously, Lance? - Keith was quick to react: he yanked the brunette close and placed a hard kiss to his lips. Pleased to see he'd finally succeeded in shutting the now blushing Lance up, the mulleted man knew he had to do more to convey the wealth of feelings flooding his mind. Recalling the brunette's words to him prior to his solo discussion with Sina, Keith knew exactly what to do. Leaning in to brush his lips against the other man's ear, he whispered the tender threat, "Be careful. If anything happens to you before I get to ravish you, I'll be hella pissed."

 

* * *

 

Why can't anything be simple? Keith thought crankily. A fifth of a click, indeed - _just say about a hundred feet, Coran_. Channeling his fear for Lance and the monumentally dangerous stint he and the speedster were about to pull into a snarky inner monologue about the redhead was the only way Keith could keep quiet. And he absolutely had to keep quiet, as he slithered into position behind the bushes opposite Shiro. Gun raised, poised to fire at the unaware Galra lurking mere yards ahead, he awaited the other man's signal.

 _Now_.

No sooner had Shiro's voice rang inside his mind than Keith pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was worth the wait. Thank you for reading! <3


	55. You Are Bonered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith, and the others, discover you can only plan for so much. Things go bad. Things get dark. Then things get steamy...among other things.

This wasn't the first time Keith had fired a gun; it was, however, the first time he aimed it at another person. Flinching, he blinked as the Galra howled and dropped her weapon as she collapsed to the dirt, both hands flying to her newly injured thigh. Before the Galra's companion could retaliate, he, too, went down, this time shot in the shoulder. 'Come on,' Shiro's voice urged him from within his mind. Glancing to his side, Keith caught the other man gesturing for him to follow as he crept from behind the brush towards their wounded enemies. Numbly, he did as instructed, keeping one step behind his sure-footed friend. Watching as Shiro used the butt of his weapon to knockout first one and then the other Galra, Keith was struck by how efficient and comfortable the other man with such movements. A natural born leader...and soldier? Spy? Curious as he was about his friend's possible past, Keith knew this was neither the time nor place to ask. Lance was counting on him, he reminded himself, they were all counting on him to keep their enemies at bay for his partner and Pidge to sneak into that cave.

So far, their plan to divide and disarm/disable the Galra was working out. Pidge and Lance took out the three patrolling the perimeter first, giving Shiro and Keith on one end and Coran and Shay on the other the opportunity to snipe at the flanks whilst the clones came barreling through the center atop bear Hunk's back. With so many attacks going on at once, the Galra had divided up just as Shiro'd intended. Haxus, who did indeed have some weaponized function to his newfound mechanical leg, seemed hellbent on exacting his revenge on Hunk, focused solely on the bear even as a comrade to his right was swarmed by the clones. Still, no matter how many times Keith tried to shoot the familiar Galra, Haxus dodged every bullet fired from him and even those fired by Shay on the other side of the rocks. Ignoring Shiro's mental and verbal order to 'leave it to Hunk,' Keith took aim yet again at Haxus, cursing when his weapon clicked empty. Tossing the useless piece aside, he scrambled to confiscate one from the currently incapacitated Galra near them.

Keith's hand had yet to close around the gun when Hunk let out a bloodcurdling roar; it slipped from his hand upon seeing the bear stuck with so many darts that he could've been easily mistaken for a porcupine. Last time his friend had overdosed on quintessence, Keith had feared for his life as Hunk'd operated on mostly blind animal instinct. Eyes widening in horror, he watched as the bear rose and charged...right past the now cackling Haxus and towards the clones. Very much aware of the danger - as Hunk looked anything but playful or lucid - they scattered. Not ones to dally when presented with such an opening, Haxus and those closest to him alternated between shooting at the clones and at the bushes where Coran and Shay were stationed.

The sudden shift in tides had little influence on Shiro, who appeared set on sticking with the plan and hanging in the outskirts of the bushes, sniping when a clean, clear shot could be taken. Keith wasn't certain whether to applaud the other man's resolve or kick dirt at him. Deeming the plan shot to shit, he crouched down and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. Concerned because they'd neither heard nor seen anything from the cave since Lance and Pidge entered it several minutes earlier, he texted his partner to inquire after his progress as well as to urge him to hurry up. When a loud - very much Lance's - shriek carried across the battleground, Keith hurriedly shoved his phone back into his pocket. Everything, from the gunfire to the bear's growls to Coran howling in pain to Haxus's wicked laughter to Shiro's mental screams for him to stop, was tuned out as he ran, as fast as he was capable, through the chaos towards the cave.

Managing to make it inside with only three darts sticking out of his left shoulder, courtesy of Haxus, Keith collapsed as the quintessence surged through him. Pleading with his body to fight it, because Lance needed him, he made a shaky attempt to kneel but tumbled onto his back. Searing pain spread beneath his skin, blooming from the points of entry down to toes, which Keith curled within his boots as the agony intensified. This was just like before, he reminded himself. He could handle quintessence, he has handled it. _Right_. Cursing as his hands began to light up, Keith squeezed his eyes shut and put all his effort into keeping calm. (He was not going to explode. He was absolutely _not_ going to explode.)

Eyes snapping open as he heard another of Lance's cries, Keith used his hands to pull himself through the dirt, not caring that the small, sharp rocks cut his exposed skin. It didn't matter how long it took or how much further in Lance was, he reasoned - he was going to him. Keith just hoped he didn't supernova and cause the cavern to collapse or, worse, injure the other man when he - _no, please don't_ \- blew...

 

* * *

 

 

 _Yup, that happened_ was the first thought that came to Keith's mind when he eventually regained consciousness. Cognizant though he may have been, it took a bit longer for the rest of his body to come back online, so to speak. First came sound, the sound of someone - Lance - murmuring broken reassurances against his ear. Groaning in relief that the other man was unharmed, Keith clucked his tongue at the taste of bitter ash and metallic tang of blood coating the walls of his mouth. Scrunching his nose at the strong breeze tickling his nostrils, he forced his eyes open and blinked upon realizing the true extent of his current predicament. Lance was flying them, no doubt to safety; oh, and Keith was also shirtless, chest tingling where pressed against the other's tshirt. Had he not gone full supernova? Glancing down, he was surprised to see he was now wearing shorts, _Lance's_ shorts, as the brunette's lower half was covered by a skimpy, blue pair of boxer briefs. Blushing, he peeked up at his partner.

"Welcome back, babe." Lance's accompanying smile was strained, voice filled with false cheer, blue eyes alight with concern. "Don't worry, we're almost there."

Keith's voice was raspy when he choked out, "Al-almost where?" Reluctantly, he looked around but couldn't discern their location. They definitely weren't in Garden of the Gods anymore, but they weren't headed to Hunk's, were they? Some of the passing landmarks did seem familiar, albeit vaguely.

Instead of answering his question, the brunette countered, "How much do you remember?"

Of what? Keith wanted to bark. Scowling, he hesitated to respond as he tried to piece together the events leading up to, well, now. "We were shooting at the Galra, just like planned, but things started falling apart. I was worried about you, worried that if you took any longer we wouldn't be able to hold them off. I texted you, I think. I know you screamed and I...I ran. All I cared about was getting to you. But I got hit a few times before I made it to the cave; it was too much for me, I could feel myself about to lose control. Why _did_ you scream?" Frustration flaring, he rephrased his previous question, "Where are you taking me? I'm freaking topless, and you're not wearing any pants!"

Rolling his eyes, Lance's body language relaxed dramatically in light of his partner's usual surliness. "Think I didn't notice? Babe, if it were any circumstances but these I'd be copping a feel and more because hot damn is this right outta my sexy fun fantasies." Snorting at Keith's answering glare, he finally explained, "There were a couple of Galra waiting for me and Pidge in the cave. They got hit with the inhibitor so they had a hard time fighting off their dude; meanwhile I got hit with quintessence, once but it was enough to send me propelling up into the roof of the cave. Hurt like quiznak, hence the screaming. I didn't realize you messaged me until after I managed to swoop down and knockout both my and Pidge's attackers. I texted you back, and then I heard your phone going off nearby and realized you must've come looking for me. By the time I found you, you were fully lit and ready to burst. It was worse than the other times, though; not only were you burning up, so was everything around you. I barely got Pidge out of there before you exploded the entire freaking cave."

Mouth agape, Keith struggled to articulate a proper response. Proper response indeed, he scoffed inwardly, what does one say after learning he blew up part of a local landmark and nearly his boyfriend and friend in the process? Wait a minute - "Nobody got hurt, did they? Aside from me, of course." Bile burned the back of his throat at the thought of possibly injuring his friends. Dimly, he also lamented the loss of his cellphone in the blaze.

Lance looked away (not a good sign, Keith mused) and was silent for several moments before replying, "You took out the Galra, even that slimy little peg leg, and all the weapons being stored there." Pausing to clear his throat, his voice was thick with regret when he added, "We lost all but two of the Matts: some to the Galra, and some did get caught in the explosion." Upon seeing the horrified expression cross Keith's face, he rushed on to add, "Everyone else made it away safely, not a scratch on them. Except Coran, but who got grazed by a bullet. And one of the clones, who got a minor bite to the leg courtesy of Hunk. Bear Hunk is all about the legs, apparently."

Not amused at his partner's attempt at lightening the mood, Keith's frown deepened as he brooded over the consequences of his loss of control. The Galra casualties bothered him a bit, because saying he was going to kill Galra and actually carrying through with it were different things; however, the clones he (in)directly killed...there was no justification for that. An accident though it may have been, their blood was on his hands. And had Lance and Pidge not escaped in time... Shuddering, he refused to finish that thought for fear of panicking and thus losing control again.

Never again, Keith vowed.

Ever in tune with his partner, Lance tightened his arms around the other man. Keith appreciated the sentiment, but he couldn't shake the despair and dread shrouding him. Still, he placed a quick kiss to the brunette's jaw in 'thanks' for trying. Shutting his eyes, he nuzzled his face into his partner's neck and let Lance lead him to safety...wherever that meant...

 

* * *

 

Though he grumbled as they descended, Keith couldn't fault the other man for taking them to his apartment. But couldn't Lance have chosen to land somewhere other than in the middle of the busy sidewalk again? Crossing his arms over his chest, he huffed as the brunette wrapped an arm around his waist and all but shoved him into the building. Relieved that at least no one was in the lobby or elevator, Keith allowed his posture to slacken (only a tiny fraction) as they rode up the elevator to Lance's floor. Ignoring the other man's constant stream of chatter, he in turn nudged Lance to move quickly down the hall towards his door. Last thing they needed, he reasoned, was for a neighbor to pop out and see them in such states of undress. Distracted by the fabric stretched taut across Lance's perky butt, it took him a moment to register the other man had opened the door and was motioning for his guest to enter first. Shooting the smirking brunette an unamused look, Keith walked past him and into the apartment.

Just as bland and pristine as he remembered, the mulleted man paused in the center of the living room, not wanting to be presumptuous by sauntering straight into the bedroom; perhaps, he thought, Lance intended to bring out a change of clothing for him to slip into in the bathroom. Speaking of bathroom, he wondered if the other man would mind if he made use of his shower to rinse off the dirt and grit clinging to some parts of his skin. Startling when Lance nudged him in the backside to keep walking, Keith headed for the man's bedroom.

Unlike the rest of the apartment, this room was exactly what Keith would've expected for Lance. Framed photographs of family and friends cluttering the dresser's top. A poster of a breathtakingly beautiful beach scene decorating one wall and a print of the Andromeda Galaxy on another. The walls were painted a vibrant hue of orange, a shade shy of being unappealing to the eyes. Most of the space was taken up by the queen-sized bed, draped in crisp white sheets and an abstract red-and-blue design duvet; atop the bed were what appeared to be six pillows. Reluctant to dirty the covers, Keith took care not to brush up against them as he positioned himself away from the bed but out of the way for Lance to move with ease.

And with ease Lance did head straight for the dresser, opening and closing various drawers to pull out a pair of black briefs, two black shirts, and two pairs of dark jeans. Turning to Keith, the brunette winked as he thrust a top, bottom, and the briefs into the other man's open arms. "I'm already gonna have a hard time as it is not getting a hard-on around you at that club tonight; knowing you're al fresco would definitely render me both useless and bonered." Laughing at his partner's blush and scowl, Lance proceeded to offer, "Feel free to make use of the shower or, if you're feeling fancy, the jacuzzi bathtub. Anything really - mi casa es su casa, babe. That includes me too if, you know, you need help scrubbing your back or anywhere else."

Raising a brow at the fingergunning brunette, Keith shouldered past the other man and waited until he'd reached the bathroom before letting out the chuckle he'd been holding back. Door shut and locked, he gently placed the clean clothing on the spacious countertop then studied his reflection in the mirror. How in the quiznak did Lance find this attractive? he thought sardonically. Soot-streaked cheeks, frizzed hair sticking out wildly, dried blood crusted on one side of his nose, complexion ashen: Keith looked wrecked, and not in the good way. Sighing in disgust, he turned on the shower and swished some mouthwash while he waited for the water to warm up. Once his mouth felt relatively refreshed, he slipped off the borrowed shorts - biting his lower lip because these were after all Lance's shorts he'd been freestyling in - and hurried under the spray of water. Moaning at the pleasant, warm sensation, Keith made certain his hair was thoroughly wet before reaching for the shampoo; more like reaching and then pausing, he mused, as there were so many bottles piled within the wall caddy. Overwhelmed, and confused by what some of these products actually were for because of course the labels weren't written in English, he grabbed what he hoped was a shampoo and squirted the gel into his hair, happy when it created a decent lather when massaged through his strands. After he rinsed his head, Keith examined the bottle display in search of body wash, resorting to flipping the caps open to sniff the contents, choosing the one that most reminded him of Lance's scent. Orange, delicate florals, and a hint of pepper flooded the air, causing heat to pool in his groin. Clenching his jaw, Keith quick work of soaping up, circumventing his crotch (because hello erection), and was just as speedy in rinsing it off. Switching the water to full-on cold, he stayed under the spray until his ardor was literally and figuratively cooled then shut it off.

Towel-dried and dressed in the new clothing, briefs included, Keith was eager to see Lance again - and eat, as it'd been hours since their pit stop to the fast food joint. Gathering up the discarded shorts, he opened the door and wandered back out. Not seeing Lance in either the kitchen or living room, he decided to check the bedroom, expecting to not only find the brunette but a laundry bin as there hadn't been one in the bathroom. Entering the room, Keith was met with one but not the other: no laundry bin, just Lance...with his back turned, pulling on the clean black shirt to complete his new outfit. Willing himself not to outwardly react, he murmured a greeting and, when the other man spun to face him, held up the shorts. "Where should I put these?"

Lance took the dirtied clothing and tossed them in the corner of the room, snickering at his partner's scandalized gasp. "You look freaking fantastic in my clothes, babe. I should dress you more often," he paused then added with a fingergun, "although I'd much prefer to _un_ dress you."

Face-palming to hide his smile, Keith's voice was muffled when he changed the subject. "I forgot to ask, where are the others?" Thinking on Lance's earlier comment of going to a club tonight, no doubt a reference to that third Galra cache location (Guilty Pleasures, was it?), he asked, "I'm assuming they're all coming tonight, right? What time are we meeting them? And do we have time to eat first? I'm starving."

"Oh my gawd," Lance drawled, rolling his eyes in mock indignation. "Calm down, 20 questions. Hunk and Shay were gonna stop by their house to grab some clothes for the big guy, for whenever he can shift back to human. Shiro and the others are at his place, getting spiffed up and whatnot. I'm waiting on Pidge to text me with when to head out. So yes, we have time to feed you. Should be sandwich fixings in the fridge, or I can whip up some quesadillas if you'd like."

"A sandwich sounds fine. Yeah, um, I'll just go..." Keith's voice trailed off as the brunette came to stand an inch or two in front of him. Tilting his head up slightly to maintain eye contact, he gulped at the unabashed desire glittering Lance's eyes. Clearly delighting in his partner's fluster, the other man closed the gap to murmur against his lips an 'I love you.' Shivering, Keith responded in kind then scurried away, the sound of Lance's laughter following him all the way to the kitchen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw that cave anyway. Haxus, too.
> 
> More clones deaths - their sacrifices shall not be in vain, I promise.  
> #sorrynotsorry
> 
> So Keith's supernova has way more destructive potential than he realized, and he's really only scratched the surface of his ability. 
> 
> Next up: The third Galra weapons cache, (in?)conveniently hidden somewhere inside (above? below? who knows?) a busy nightclub...
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	56. More Than One Guilty Pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting for Pidge to get in touch, Keith reflects on how screwed he, and the others, truly are. The gang meets up at the club and gets ready to pillage...hopefully this time sans an explosion.

Patience was not one of Keith's strong suits. After devouring the final bite of his sandwich, he urged Lance to text Pidge because they were (in his opinion) taking too long; of course, the brunette stubbornly refused, a smug smirk on his face as he cleared his partner's plate. Irritated, Keith turned his attention elsewhere; unfortunately, elsewhere meant himself. The sounds of Lance washing the dishes became muted as more pressing, disturbing thoughts threatened to overwhelm him.

Guilt and shame hung heavy in the back of his mind - and always would, he mused - over the lives lost hours earlier. When it came to his power and the effects of quintessence, Keith knew, he was woefully unprepared and uninformed. Those few experiments with small dosages had taught him how to maintain control, but they clearly did nothing to aid him with substantial exposure. How long would it take, he wondered, to reach the point where his powers were permanently enhanced? Would an injection of quintessence still hold sway then? Did he even want to build up his ability to its full potential? Pidge's quip not to deform space-time and create a blackhole, previously thought ludicrous, was actually a legitimate possibility, and that terrified Keith. He was just as capable of destroying the world, if not more so, than any Galra. Any other Galra, he mentally chastised himself for overlooking his own heritage.

And that led his mind to wander to the enemy, specifically how they'd respond not only to the raids but also Sina's abduction. Had Sendak already gone back to Pidge and Matt's townhouse in search of her? Had he caught up with her already? Did Keith care? _Maybe_ was all he'd admit even to himself on that matter. Sendak would certainly retaliate, perhaps with more violence given Haxus's demise; technically, the smaller Galra was both his compatriot and relative, as were all others of their race. Cringing at the recollection of Sina's words regarding their progenitor, Keith was further worried upon realizing, despite how complicated and dangerous things had gotten, they were bound to get worse as Zarkon hadn't yet revealed himself - that's assuming he would. Considering how the Galra operated thus far, their leader could very well remain in the safety of wherever he was (space? Haggar's bar in Maine? heck, quiznaking Aruba?) while his 'children' fought his war, all for Voltron, which Keith still didn't know much about...

Literally shaken from his thoughts, he blinked owlishly at Lance, whose hands remained on his shoulders even after he was obviously present in the moment. The brunette's frown quickly flipped into a grin, as he teased, "Babe, stop fantasizing about me naked." Opening his mouth to issue a scatching denial, Keith was cut off as the other man followed up with: "Pidge texted while you were busy daydreaming about yours truly; they said to meet them at Guilty Pleasures in an hour."

Scowling, Keith knocked his partner's hands away and scooted an inch away on the sofa. "As if I would think that -"

"Pfft, why not?!"

Ignoring the brunette's screeched interruption, he continued, "- at a time like this. We are _quiznaked_ , Lance -"

"Not yet, but we will be tonight. You did promise to ravish me."

Growling in frustration, the mulleted man abruptly stood up and glowered at a still seated Lance. "I realize it's a challenge for you, but try shutting up for one freaking minute and let me talk. This is serious. Things are only going to get more dangerous for us, all of us, from here on out. We've hit two of their weapons caches and soon will the third. No doubt the Galra are already at that club, waiting for us, just like they were at the park. If we're not careful, innocent people could get hurt; if not by them, then by us. By _me_." Pausing to take a shaky breath, he added, "What happened this afternoon cannot happen again. It just can't. Because I can't live with myself if..."

"Hey, hey!" Lance's voice was soft but insistent as he grabbed ahold of the other man's hand, tender with his touch even as he tugged Keith back down to the sofa. Using his free hand to cradle his partner's chin, he nudged the mulleted man to meet his eyes as he stated, "You seriously blaming yourself over that? Babe, it was not your fault. Those lunatics could've and would've shot you at the first chance they got; and I've no doubt they did so more than once. You, Hunk, any of us that can and have lost control, anything that happened as a result is not of our faults - it is 100% on the Galra."

Though he didn't totally agree - Keith's conscience refused to absolve him of all responsibility - he eventually nodded to placate Lance, dislodging the hand from his chin. He didn't let go of the brunette's hand, however, relishing in the simple contact. Pushing aside his other worries, because Keith knew there was little to be done about the 'what ifs' for now, he instead asked, "When do we need to leave? How far away is the club?"

Lance's gaze, keen as ever, bore into his partner, pinning the other man with the knowledge that he wasn't so easily fooled; however, his lips quirked as he cheerily informed him, "We've got plenty of time; it's hardly a 5 minute flight from here." Dropping his voice to a whisper, he murmured, "Try not to worry about tonight, yeah? I'm gonna be all over you, not just 'cuz you're sexy and I'm crazy about you - although that's a huge part of it - but also to keep you safe. I've got your back, and backside, covered; you just focus on finding those weapons."

Rolling his eyes at the brunette's flirts (which he actually appreciated), Keith countered, "We all have to watch each other's backs. It'll take a full team effort to locate and get those weapons outta there without getting shot and/or causing a scene."

Annoyed to be corrected, the other man huffed but managed to keep whatever sharp comeback he'd formulated to himself. After a few moments of silence, his eyes twinkled with merriment as he leaned forward to offer, "You know, as much as I love bickering with you, I can think of a better way to pass the time." Keith braced himself for the invetiable - "Wanna make out?"

 _That_. Face-palming, Keith debated between shoving the now giggling man off the sofa or shoving his tongue in his mouth to shut him up; despite the emotional rollercoaster he felt like he'd run through, the latter won out.

 

* * *

 

With a name like Guilty Pleasures, Keith was expecting a sex dungeon of some sort; so it was with great surprise that he discovered the club was in fact a homage to the 80s. The staff, much to his relief, were not Galra, just victims of the bad fashion trends typical to that time period. Although, according to Lance, he shouldn't poke fun because he had a mullet. Miffed as he was at the brunette's cheeky jibe, Keith didn't argue because yes, his hair was a little too long in the back. Still, he glared at the beaming brunette and turned face to the crowd, standing on tiptoes to see over the sea of heads crowding the dancefloor in hopes of spotting their friends. A distinct, familiar shock of red hair by the bar caught his eye; not bothering to glance at Lance, he took ahold of the other man's hand and tugged him along.

Coran, Pidge, and Shiro were seated on shiny metal stools, backs turned and chatting casually at the neon-lit bar. Due to the eardrum-throbbing loud music, Keith and Lance were unable to announce their arrival without startling their friends; Coran's reaction was the most amusing, at least to the former, as the redhead jerked so dramatically that his martini sloshed right at the latter. Pouting, the brunette swiped a hand over his wet face and pretended to ignore the others' obvious amusement. Motioning to the spandex-clad bartender, he shouted drink orders for both him and his partner. Pleased that Lance ordered his usual (vodka and tonic), Keith gave the other man's hand a quick squeeze before addressing Shiro, as he was seated closest, "Where are the others?"

To avoid yelling to be heard over the music, Shiro used his power to thrust the answer into Keith's mind. 'Hunk is unable to shift back yet; Shay and the clones volunteered to stay behind to watch him." That made sense, Keith thought, given one of the clone's injury and, should Hunk go wild, his girlfriend being one of the few able to calm him. Realizing it'd look suspicious, to anyone observing, if Keith kept shouting questions to a seemingly zipped-lipped Shiro, he tried to convey his next question regarding how they should proceed (to search for the Galra weapons) by thinking it loudly, hoping the other man would pick up on it. Shiro definitely did, as he shot him a mocking look before his voice chimed in Keith's mind, 'I'm not deaf. The weapons are upstairs, among the offices; in which one or ones specifically, I don't know. From the manager's mind, I was able to gather the owner is a Galra and keeps his spare rooms under tight lock and key from the human employees.'

Grateful that Shiro's ability spared them a wasted search of the entire premises, Keith smiled in thanks. The bartender interrupted to hand off their drinks; he waited until she turned to assist other patrons before leaning close to Pidge, "Think you can check out the upstairs?" Flinching when the speedster immediately zoomed off, he barely had time to recover when Pidge reappeared.

Before Pidge even spoke, their expression made obvious their wicked glee as they informed Keith, "They're up there all right, and wow is that a huge stash. Dunno how we're gonna manage without Hunk and the others. But, lucky for us, there's only one Galra in the building, and he's not gonna be a problem."

Curious as he was, he didn't question the speedster's last statement for fear of drawing notice from anyone outside their group. As it were, he shot Pidge a look of censure at dropping the Galra name aloud. Glancing at the others, Keith raised his eyebrows and made a gesture upward as if to ask 'shall we go then?' At their nods of agreement, he tossed back his drink in one gulp then motioned for Pidge to lead the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: there's no wikihow on how best to sneak an arsenal out of a busy nightclub...is there? Plus Klance, and more. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	57. Fancy Meeting You (Ever)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Get It Done, Gang

Fortunately, the stairs leading to the second floor were not guarded or closely monitored, at least as far as Keith could discern. He did express concern to the speedster about possible security cameras, but they assured him there were none. Still, he - and the others - proceeded with caution...well, maybe not Lance, who seemed more focused on checking out Keith's backside than being stealthy. Though partially flattered, Keith snapped his fingers in front of the brunette and hissed for the other man to take this seriously; after all, their lives could be at stake, regardless of Pidge's assurances that the sole Galra occupant was not an issue. On that note, he tapped their shoulder in front of him and finally asked, "So there's only one Galra around? Where is he or she exactly?"

Pidge, who looked annoyed at having to move at a normal pace (per Shiro's command), haughtily replied, "In his office, of course." Ah, the owner Shiro had mentioned. Now at the top step, Keith glanced down the hallway. Unlike the club downstairs, the decor up here was more modern, least from what was currently visible: dark grey walls, black tiled floors, minimalistic sconces, and industrial, metal sculptures. There appeared to be only four rooms total, all doors shut. Which was the owner's office? he wondered. Intending to ask just that, Shiro must've beat him to it because the speedster suddenly blurted out, "Last door on the right. It was open a crack earlier, and I overheard him talking on the phone with, I kid you not, a phone sex line of some kind; I'd originally planned to zip in and knock him out but he shut the door, and no way was I going in there to disrupt whatever kinky quiznakery he was about to delve into. I can only assume he's still, erm, busy with that. But if you want him immobilized, Shiro, fine with me - but don't look at me."

Whacking Lance in the arm to quiet the chuckling brunette, Keith rolled his eyes and volunteered, "I'll do it. We can't risk him overhearing us, " he paused to shoot a quelling look at the other man, "if he hasn't already."

"I'll go with you, just in case." Shiro's voice was so hushed the others had to strain to hear him, but it was all-business as he commanded, "Everyone else, quietly - and I mean quietly - duck into the other rooms and take stock of the weapons. We need to figure out a way to safely transport them out of here." With that, he pushed ahead and motioned for Keith to follow along as he made his way down the hall.

Hand poised over the door's handle, Shiro waited until their friends complied with his bidding before shoving it open. Both men froze in the doorway; expecting, at worse, the owner to be 'actively participating' in his phone call, Keith was taken aback by the sight within. There, indeed, was the short, rotund, well-dressed Galra who he assumed must be the owner...already incapacitated and tied up on the floor. However, that wasn't what caused both men pause - the Galra wasn't alone. A man dressed in head-to-toe black, clearly the one responsible, was casually leaning against the sill of an open window, smoking a cigarette. The assailant's ski mask was rolled up just enough to allow for his vice, revealing his square jaw, dimpled chin, and thin lips. Even with the covering, there was no mistaking his heritage as the man had the Galra trademark pale skin and golden eyes. And those golden eyes were, in fact, fixed on Keith and Shiro, though otherwise the masked man showed no indication of concern at their intrusion. His voice was neutral as he said in lieu of greeting, "I take it the other paladins are around here, too."

Startled, Keith spared a glance at Shiro, not surprised to see the confusion etched on the other's man face. Curiosity overruled his sense of self-preservation as he decided to step into the office, shouldering past his friend to do so; distantly, he acknowledged Shiro following suit at his left. Hesitating as he floundered for how best to respond, Keith settled on asking the obvious: "Who are you?"

"My name hardly matters," the smoker said with a shrug as he flicked ash out the window. After taking a drag from his cigarette, he confirmed Keith's assumption. "That," the Galra's voice dripped with disdain as he nodded sharply towards the one on the floor, "is Morvok." He paused to take another long drag of his cigarette. "His lax security serves us both this night."

"How so?" Shiro's frown, directed at the masked man, was fierce. "If you know who we are, then you must know why we're here. But why are you?"

"Our agendas align, in more ways than one; I also wish to see you defeat the tyrant, and rob his puppets of this arsenal." Though his lips remained drawn tight, the smile was evident in his voice when he said, "The drug I administered to Morvok shall ensure you approximately an hour until he wakes. That does not, however, guarantee you freedom from Galra opposition, as any of the others could arrive to acquire ammunition or even in pursuit of you. I suggest you make good use of this opportunity and hurry to aid your fellow paladins."

What was it with Galra and being cryptic? Keith wanted to scream his frustration but managed to hold back; if this masked man wasn't lying about wanting them to defeat Zarkon, he may be willing to actively help them. Did he know about Voltron? There were so many questions he wanted to ply the smoker with but, Shiro's voice insisted within his mind, the Galra might take offense if they didn't do as advised. Scowling, he kept his mouth shut and let Shiro address the masked man. "We intend to. It may benefit us both to have a means of contact, since we're working towards the same goal - if you're comfortable sharing that information and it's safe for you to do so, of course."

"Of course," the smoker mocked. The Galra finally snubbed out his down-to-the-filter cigarette on the sill and, to their surprise, knelt down to pull out a knife that'd been concealed and sheathed within the side of his combat boot. Keith tensed and mentally scolding Shiro: 'good job not offending him.' His friend ignored the jibe and outwardly appeared calm; inwardly, Keith suspected, the other man was devising a plan to neutralize the threat if necessary. The mulleted man braced himself for an attack as the Galra took a few steps closer; he blinked owlishly when the other extended the knife, hilt first, towards him. Warily, Keith took the offered weapon, gasping as the metal vibrated upon contact; the masked man snorted in derision and explained, "For your protection and to summon me should you need, pretty one: a blade of Marmora, only a Galra may wield it, one truly opposed to Zarkon's regime." Before either Keith or Shiro could formulate a response, the masked man returned to the window and made his exit, jumping out with no regard to the height from the pavement below.

Shiro rushed to the sill to see if/how the Galra landed; Keith's attention, however, was solely on the knife he'd been given. A blade of Marmora, he corrected himself as he studied the weapon. Made of a bluish metal and decorated with crudely carved ruins, the pulsing piece was unlike anything he'd ever seen. How exactly he could use it to summon that unnamed Galra had yet to be seen, but Keith intended to find out. Later. Shakily, he slid the knife into his back pocket, concealing the hilt with the hem of his long tshirt, figuring it'd have to make due until he acquired a scabbard.

"Come on," Shiro's words startled Keith from his thoughts. His voice softened, as did his eyes, when he looked over the mulleted man and reminded him, "Our friends are counting on us. We've got less than an hour to clear out; let's not waste another minute of it."

 

* * *

 

They'd been busy, Keith was relieved to see as he and Shiro made their way from room-to-room. Two of the three were devoid of Galra weapons; assuming they'd been filled as Pidge implied, the others must've found an easy method of transporting them. Unless, he mused, they just condensed the collection (whatever size it may be) to one room? Wondering what awaited them behind the remaining door, Keith stuck closed behind Shiro as the other man swung it open.

Pidge, it turned out, hadn't been exaggerating the extent of the Galra arsenal. Handguns, rifles, shotguns, duffel bags stuffed with what could only be ammunition and more equipment, what looked like quiznaking grenade launchers, they were all there, all accounted for, in that room. Had the weaponry and Coran not be inside, the space would otherwise be a typical empty office. The redhead paused mid-stuffing the smaller guns into a bag, expression morphing from terror to joy at realizing the arrivals were his missing friends.

"Phew! Hurry on in and shut the door," Coran chirped. Once Keith and Shiro had done so, the redhead gestured towards the weaponry. "So, what do you think?"

Coran was eccentric, there was no denying that; still, his cheery comment caused Keith to raise an eyebrow. Once more, he found himself envious of Shiro's ability as the other man, obviously having read the redhead's mind, turned to Keith and informed him, "This is less than a third of the entire arsenal."

"Oh." To Coran, Keith asked, "Where are Lance and Pidge?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lance appeared outside the window, floating and waving at his partner, flashing a smile. _Because of course Lance would do that with no regard to the crowd inside or outside the building._ "Hey babe -"

Shiro, who'd turned to examine a rifle, cut off whatever else the brunette had been about to say. "They've got a system going: Coran hands off the weapons to Lance, who passes them to Pidge, and they run them to my place. Good idea, although I wish they weren't piling everything in my bedroom. I will want to sleep there, eventually."

Gaping in reaction to having his mind read, Lance deadpanned upon recovery, "I dunno whether to feel violated or impressed any time you do that, dude." Sheepishly, the other man shot him an apologetic look then offered to help Coran condense the remaining weapons. Turning back to Keith, the brunette said, "You look a little shook yourself, babe. If you don't wanna be stuck on packing duty, I can give you a lift down. It's a nice night, you can enjoy the breeze and admire my hot bod while I work."

Resisting the urge to face-palm, Keith's mind wandered to the Galra, who'd escaped not long ago out a window on the opposite side of the building. Had he left the area already? Most likely. Had he spotted Lance, or Lance him? Had Pidge sped past or after him? The brunette's face gave no indication he'd seen or heard anything unusual. Though he had no intention of keeping the possible Galra ally a secret, Keith wasn't ready to reveal it just yet. Ignoring the tingling ~~guilt~~ reminder of the hidden blade - and the weight of Shiro's piercing eyes on him, no doubt reading his thoughts - Keith brushed off the other man's offer. "Someone should be on the lookout, inside, in case an employee or anyone else heads this way." So as not to draw notice to the knife, he made sure to keep that side angled away from the brunette's bright eyes as he shifted to open the door and return to the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PSA: Don't stick strange knives in your back pocket.  
> (Jeez, Keith, you're just asking to get your booty nicked. Ouch!)
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	58. First We Robbed, Then We Throbbed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klangst, because Keith can't postpone telling Lance about the mysterious Galra and his blade forever...

When the weapons had been all cleared out, Shiro suggested the group head back to his place to reconvene with Hunk (who Pidge assured them was finally back in human form), Shay, and the two clones. Had the injured man not looked dead on his feet, the others may've agreed; though they all expressed concerns for the late hour and Shiro's well-being, he only relented when Coran declared delaying the raid on the Galra's actual base would not alter the results. "We're going to triumph," the redhead stated confidently, puffing up his chest as he popped the lapels of his jacket. Keith wasn't totally sold on the accuracy of Coran's ever-changing visions, but he had his own reasons for wanting to put off the next stage of their plan so he held his tongue. Sensitive to the loss of Keith's phone - still weighing heavily on the man's mind, along with the other casualties in his earlier supernova - Shiro informed Lance that he'd text him in the morning with the time to head out. With a sharp nod of agreement, the brunette turned to his partner and opened his arms, beckoning him forward. Snorting at the grinning man, Keith accepted the embrace and shut his eyes as Lance propelled them into the sky.

The distance between Lance's apartment in West Hollywood and the nightclub truly was less than a 5 minute flight. Not sure whether the brunette's hands deliberately steered clear of his backside to avoid the knife or as a form of self-restraint, Keith was grateful for the reprieve. Lance, he had no doubt, would flip out upon hearing about what really happened in the owner's office. Unless Shiro did say something after he'd scurried off for lookout duty in the hall... Cursing his folly, Keith regretted not sticking close to the mindreader; although, he reasoned, the other man could've easily mentally communicated with Lance had he stuck around. Resisting the urge to truly whack himself in the face, Keith settled for tightening his arms around Lance's trim middle as the brunette shifted to descend.

Did anyone in California ever sleep? By now, Keith mused, it had to be 3AM, and yet the sidewalks were nearly as busy as they had been midday. As a nightowl, he appreciated a city that didn't sleep - hence his residence close to Las Vegas - but, in the case of Lance landing them right in the midst of all that foot traffic, he resented the presence of others. Go home, he wanted to scream. The only reason why Keith didn't was because, if Lance's recklessness in regards to his power didn't draw attention, his meltdown most certainly would; some things were a given in life, and that was (unfairly) one of them. Still, he glared at Lance as the other man draped an arm over his shoulders and ushered him inside the apartment building.

To his chargin, they were not the only ones in the lobby. Three women, hair various shades of dyed blonde and dressed in shimmering, skimpy dresses with painfully high stilettos, blathered on by the elevators, obviously waiting to go up. Reminded of Lance's apparent attraction to blondes (Rolo, Nyma, and even the more silver than blonde Allura), Keith tensed and inwardly prayed the brunette wasn't acquainted or attracted to any of these possible neighbors. Not that they weren't pretty - even if he had been more homosexual than homoflexible, he'd still acknowledge when someone was good looking - but the thought of Lance flirting with them and then trying to put the moves on him made Keith feel ill. Sparing a sideways glance at the other man, he was pleased to see the brunette's expression was unchanged from when they landed, a small, content smile on Lance's face and his eyes not particularly focused on any one thing in particular.

Flinching when the elevator doors chimed and opened, Keith blushed at his partner's snicker as the brunette urged him to step in after the trio of blondes. Breathing a sigh of relief when Lance positioned them against the wall, he looked anywhere but the women in hopes of not attracting their attention. That seemed to work for all of three seconds after the doors closed, as one bubbly, feminine voice rang out a greeting. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how one looked at it), Lance spoke up and made idle chitchat with the woman and her friends. Mostly tuning them out, Keith kept his eyes downward as the blade seemed to pulse and heat his skin even through the layers of clothing between them. He did take notice when the women exited at the second floor, one below Lance's own; lifting his head to shoot a glare at the one blonde that called out an invitation to 'stop by her place later,' he felt a perverse joy at the glimpse of the flirty smile melting from the woman's face, just before the doors shut again. Lance's laughter, though meant to be mocking, hardly soured the other man's now satisfied mood as they continued, alone, to the next floor.

Following close behind his partner, Keith waited until the brunette had the door open before making his move, pushing a still amused Lance inside the apartment. "Someone's eager," the brunette teased, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Foregoing flipping on the lights, he moved confidently to the darkened living room, startling to a stop at the sudden illumination moments later. Turning back to face Keith, he raised a brow in question as the other man removed his hands from the switch and ensured the front door was indeed locked then sauntered towards him.

"Sit," Keith commanded, gesturing at the sofa then shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

"This how we gonna play it? Okay, I'm game." The brunette took a seat, legs spread and winking as he quipped, "What now, bossy baby?"

What now indeed? Reluctantly - because _wow did Lance look tempting_ \- Keith remained standing and forced himself to confess, "Something happened tonight, in the owner's office. When Shiro and I walked in, we found the owner already knocked out and tied up. By another Galra, who was still hanging around, waiting for us I think. We didn't get much out of him, we didn't even see his face because he had on a ski mask, but he claimed to be opposed to Zarkon and his rule." Removing one hand from the front to reach for the weapon in his back pocket, he sighed then whipped it out for Lance to see. "He gave me this, said it could only be used by a Galra to summon him."

"So that explains the knife; too bad, I was kinda hoping you'd gotten it to be all kinky and cut my shirt off." Unperturbed by the other man's scowl, Lance continued, "Seriously, though, I suspected something was up even before I noticed that thing in your pocket - which, by the way, was dumb because you could've pricked your booty. The only prick allowed near that sweet tushy is mi-"

"LANCE!" Keith barked. Pausing to take a few deep breaths and count backwards from ten in a bid to cool his temper, his voice was strained as he attempted to calmly reply, "If any of the customers had spotted the knife, it would've caused a widespread panic. That was temporary, only to sneak it out of there."

The other man grunted, expression displaying his own rising irritation. "Speaking of sneaking, you chose not to say anything right after meeting crazy knife dude because...? You promised not to lie."

Had he? Feeling petty, he shot back, "I didn't lie, I just waited until a more opportune time to tell you, like now." To placate his partner, Keith explained, "We had weapons to move and not a lot of time to do it; I was worried for everyone's safety, yours especially."

"You were worried I'd freak out about the knife dude. Rightfully so, because WHAT THE QUIZNAK?!" Lance shot up, eyes wild and glittering with ire as he growled, "Some weirdo in a mask hands you a knife and you're all like 'summon me, maybe - let's be blade-pals!'" Leaning down to take a closer look at the weapon in question, he pointed out, "How in the quiznak are you supposed to summon him anyways? It's a knife, not a beeper. What is wrong with you Galra that you can't do things simple? 'Screw exchanging phone numbers, emails, or even instragrams, gimme a creepy alien knife!'"

Keith complained, often, about the Galra and their sketchy behavior. That didn't bother him; the inclusion of him in Lance's statement, however, did. Very much so. Eyes widening and cheeks flushing, he snapped, "Shiro was there too, and he did more of the talking than I did. He's the one that asked that guy for a way to contact him." When the other man opened his mouth to respond, Keith hurried on, "I am not saying I believe what he said or that, even if I knew how to summon him with this, I would actually do it. I'm scared and annoyed by this situation, too, moreso than you because my boyfriend is acting like a monumental dick."

A testament to Lance's anger, the brunette didn't jump at the chance to make a reference to his literal dick. Instead, he snatched the knife from Keith's hand and walked over to the bookcase, slamming the blade's tip into the wood so it stuck out sideways. Ignoring his partner's outraged gasp, his voice was eerily calm as he said, "I have one more thing to say, and then I'm done on it, least for tonight. Did you even stop to consider this," he gestured to the weapon, "could be bugged with a tracker of some kind, and that you've led him right to us?"

 _No_. Blanching, Keith shook his head and looked away in shame, only to turn his gaze back up when Lance's hands clasped down onto his shoulders. The brunette's eyes softened as he smirked. "Actually, I lied. This is the last thing I have to say on that freaking weirdo and his weirdo knife: If he does try anything we," his hands slid up to frame his partner's face, "will handle it, together." Leaning in, he kissed placed a tender kiss on the still-reeling man's mouth.

Maybe Lance wasn't that angry, Keith mused as he melted under the other man's administrations; he quickly amended that thought after the brunette bit down, a bit rougher than necessary, on his lower lip. _Nope, still pissed._ Shuddering as the other man delicately traced the throbbing area with the tip of his tongue, Keith threaded his fingers through Lance's belt loops to get more friction for his _other_ throbbing area. Soon any concerns about the mysterious, gleaming blade were forgotten as the men stumbled right past it to the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Keith woke up feeling sore the next morning; not _that_ kind of sore. Grimacing, he buried his face further in the pillow to hide his reddened cheeks as the intense makeout session from last night replayed in his mind. He didn't have to look in a mirror to know his lower lip was swollen, probably cut too, courteously of 'vampire' Lance. And the brunette hadn't stopped there, either - from neck down to navel, Keith was most assuredly covered in hickeys. He recalled his frustration with Lance when the other man, hotly, insisted they restrict their amorous attentions to 'above the waistband,' swatting away needy hands and angling his lower body away each time Keith tried to seek out that delicious friction and more. Now, he was thankful for Lance's foresight, as it would've been detrimental and, more importantly, humiliating for either of them to have to waddle/hobble into the Galra base later today.

Shifting to alleviate the chafing of the sheets on his tenderized skin, he pushed himself up just enough to check out the still sleeping and, to his amusement, snoring brunette at his right. So as not to wake the other man, Keith slid out of the bed as gracefully as possible. Despite having slept, for however long, he hardly felt rested; sensing there was more to it than the enthusiastically-given love marks, he headed back into the living room, quietly shutting the bedroom door behind him.

There, he realized, was one of the sources of his discomfort: the blade of Marmora, still stuck in the wooden bookcase, was dimly glowing. Hesitantly, he shuffled forward and closed a hand over the hilt, the pulsating metal warm to the touch. Ignoring his niggling conscience warning him ' _this is a bad idea, remember what Lance said, Lance_ ,' Keith braced his free hand on the bookcase as he tugged the blade free. It took two tries, the other man's anger fueled his strength as he'd dug it in pretty deep, but he eventually pulled it out. Studying the weapon thoughtfully, he murmured, "Just how _do_ you work?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #sorrynotsorry for the chapter's title. 
> 
> I do have a Klance XXX scene for this AU bouncing around in my head. I could post it as a separate story, or I could change the rating for this fic and thrust it (heh) in. If you have a preference, please let me know. ^_^
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	59. Fluff, Not Calm, Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boys being cute. And sexy. And omigod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end notes re: the change of rating and tags.

So enthralled with examining the Galran knife, Keith didn't hear the telltale sounds of Lance rousing in the next room until the door swung open and the brunette's voice cheerily rang out, "Baaaaabe! Come back to be-" The other man's face fell upon noticing Keith was seated on the sofa and fiddling with the weapon. " _Oh_."

Guiltily Keith hurried to place the knife on the coffeetable. Hoping to avoid any further arguing on the matter, he stood and took few steps forward to block the cursed object from his partner's sight. Forcing a smile on his face, he kept his tone light as he greeted, "Morning. Sleep well? I hope I didn't wake you."

"You did." Lance paused, licking his lips as his eyes wandered over Keith's face. He looked like he was searching for something, but what? The other man wasn't left to wonder long as the brunette continued, "Not because you were being loud. I just...missed you, I guess." To his partner's relief, Lance's mood shifted back to the flirty joy from before as he teased, "I was hoping to fool around a little, maybe convince you to take a shower with me."

Blushing, Keith blinked at the thought of Lance, naked, soapy, bubbles running down his... Shaking his head to rid the tantalizing image, he cleared his throat then replied, "Shiro could call or text at any moment, if he hasn't already. We should probably freshen up, um, separately I mean, and, uh, have breakfast." Further flustered by the brunette's dazzling smile, he murmured, "I'mma go do that. Now. Okay." Not waiting for a response, he ran so fast for the bathroom an outsider might've mistaken him for a speedster like Pidge.

With trembling hands, Keith slid the lock in place after slamming the door shut behind him. Glancing at the mirror above the sink, he gasped as he surveyed the state of his face and body. Pupils dilated with arousal, cheeks pink, lower lip swollen and indeed sporting a cut from Lance's zealous love bite, trail of hickeys spanning from just beneath his chin to right above his belly button, and, he realized with a throaty groan, one hell of an erection tenting the front of his briefs. Technically Lance's briefs, he reminded himself. _Lance. Wearing these briefs._ Shuddering, Keith lunged to turn on the shower. Shucking off the skimpy undergarment, and gritting his teeth as the cool air hit his bared erection, he jumped right into the stall, grimacing as the frigid water washed over his too-hot skin. Blindly, he groped for a bottle of whatever and worked the gel into his hair and scalp, pleased when it did produce a decent lather. By the time Keith rinsed out the product and swiped the lingering suds over his body, he was feeling more in control of his emotions (and libido).

Left with little options upon stepping out of the shower, he wrapped and secured a large, fluffy blue towel around his waist. After towel-drying his hair and brushing his teeth with the extra toothbrush the other man had thoughtfully laid out last night, Keith scooped up the discarded briefs and took a deep breath before unlocking and opening the door. Keeping his eyes downcast, he scurried past the kitchen where he could hear Lance bustling about and headed for the bedroom. Once inside, he gently clicked the door shut in hopes of not drawing his partner's attention.

Gaping, he was surprised to not only see the bed already straightened but also a change of clothes laid atop. Were those for him? Keith didn't want to assume those were for him, but his desire to face Lance in more than a towel won out as he reached for the red silk boxers first. Biting back a moan as the luxurious fabric slid across his skin, he made quick work of pulling on the dark grey cargo pants and faded red tshirt. Tossing the towel and briefs in the corner with his shorts from yesterday - Lance really needed a hamper - Keith raked his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame the ruffled, damp tresses then stepped back out into the living room.

Cautiously, he approached the kitchen, the heavenly scent of bacon and butter stirring a rumble from his stomach. Sparing a glance towards the bathroom in passing, Keith realized the brunette had gone in there to no doubt shower before eating his breakfast. Reasoning that the other man wouldn't begrudge him for digging in, he immediately set about assuaging his growing hunger. Smiling at Lance's thoughtfulness, Keith piled a generous portion of the bacon, scrambled eggs, and buttered toast on his plate, stopping to pour a cup of coffee then carrying his meal over to the small dining table. He ate with vigor, unable to suppress the soft moans of pleasure after each bite and sip - not that he cared all that much, as he was alone...or had been.

Lance's chuckles caused him to freeze, perfectly crisp piece of bacon hovering just shy of his mouth. Keith dropped it, remainder of breakfast forgotten entirely when he got a good look at his partner. Hair still damp from the shower, the brunette was clad in a blue silk robe. The robe, the one Keith had purchased him what felt like ages ago during his trip to Little Tokyo with Shiro. Gaping, he watched the other man prepare his own plate and coffee, mouth dropping further open, of its own volition, when his partner finally took the seat across from him at the table.

Eyes alight with amusement, Lance smirked as he ate, eyebrows waggling with a deliberately sharp bite of the bacon. That seemed to do the trick for Keith, snapping him out of the lusty trance and raising his hackles. Scowling, he pushed the mostly eaten plate aside and reached for his coffee. "Where's your phone? Have you heard from Shiro yet?"

The brunette took his sweet time chewing and swallowing his mouthful; just as Keith was ready to snap, Lance finally replied, "In my pocket. Can you believe this thing has pockets? Freaking amazing. Thank you, btw, for this; I dunno if I actually did when you gave it to me, I was sort of distracted by you being all injured and looking all icky but pretty in the hallway." Smile widening at his partner's narrowed eyes, he added, "I texted him right after I got outta the shower, you know, to let him know we're up and ready whenever he is. Sorry if I took long in the shower, I was up and ready in a whole other way, if you know what I mean. Had to take care of that."

Huffing in impatience - and inwardly commanding his body to not react to that particularly tempting image - Keith motioned for the other man to hand over his phone. Rolling his eyes at the brunette's responding wink, he murmured a thanks as he took the offered cellphone. Swiping a finger over the screen, he pulled up the 'contacts' and scrolled for Shiro. Of course, he soon realized, Lance couldn't simply list people under their actual names. Snorting as he passed what had to be his own nickname, 'Mullet McSexyBottom,' Keith took a chance and selected the ~~least~~ most logical choice for Shiro: 'RoboBuffAsFcuk.'

Shiro answered on the fourth ring, his voice gruff with sleep. "'ello?"

"Hey Shiro, it's Keith." Ignoring Lance's snicker across from him, Keith grabbed his drink and stood from the table as he told the man on the other line, "Sorry to wake you."

"N-no, it's okay." The sound of sheets ruffling and someone distinctly not Shiro groaning filled the gap between those and the man's next words. "I guess yesterday took a lot more outta me than I thought. Have you guys been up long? There's an unread text notification, from Lance I take it." Another groan, louder this time, also not Shiro's, could be heard in the background as he spoke.

As Keith rinsed out his now empty cup in the kitchen, he couldn't resist asking, "You okay over there? Sounds like I woke more than just you."

Shiro's embarrassment was palpable when he replied, several moments and padded footsteps later, "Y-yes, we're good. I mean... Everyone stayed over last night, so we. Yes." After a pause, his voice was back to its usual soothing, serious tone when he asked, "Lance's apartment is in West Hollywood, yes? That's closer to the Galra base, assuming it is where Sina told us; she hasn't lied to us so far, but still - we can't be too cautious. Gives us an hour, and we can meet you outside his place then head out together. If Lance has a car, it may behoove him to drive as opposed to fly - we may need the extra trunk/seat space for any weapons or tech we decide to confiscate."

Keith hummed thoughtfully. "I'll tell him. We'll see you in an hour." Goodbyes exchanged, he ended the call and turned to call out to Lance, jumping when he realized the brunette was standing not one foot away, having snuck up behind him, empty plates in both hands. Stepping aside for the other man to access the sink, he mumbled an apology and averted his eyes because _wow did that robe cling to Lance's backside_. Like he wanted to. _Quiznak_. Glaring at the floor, he relayed the full conversation with Shiro, too tense to share in the laughter at the mention of the mystery groaner in the background.

"You just know it was one, or both, of those clones," Lance snickered.

Thrusting the phone back to the brunette, Keith scoffed, "Everyone stayed over his place last night. It could've easily been anyone else. They probably all passed out in his living room or something." Recalling Shiro's comment last night about Pidge storing the weapons in his bedroom, that seemed very likely.

The brunette, however, literally waved his comment off. "Those clones are crafty, no way would they pass up the chance to manwich Shiro. And I don't think he'd be opposed to cuddling up with them, what with them being Matt and all." He paused, brows furrowing as he wondered aloud, "Say, is it technically cheating if he does fool around with a clone? Or both? They're all technically extensions of the same dude, righ- OW!" Lance yowled as he clutched his arm, pouting and rubbed the spot where Keith had roughly pinched him.

"Lance," Keith growled, annoyed by a combination of the other man's ridiculous comment, the disturbing image of their friend in a threesome with the clones, and his own, persistent admiration of how attractive his partner looked in that damn robe. (I need to burn it, ASAP, he thought bitterly.) With that in mind, he commanded, "Go get dressed."

Clearly aware of the source of his partner's distress, Lance made a show of looking down and running his hands over the silken fabric. He teased, "But I love this, you got it for me. I look hot as quiznak in it, don't you think?" Not waiting for an answer, he added, "Plus, we got an hour. A whole hour. I'm gonna leave this on until the last minute. Unless, of course, you'd like to yank it off me?"

 _Hello_. Blushing, Keith mumbled an excuse about needing some fresh air and bolted from the apartment, Lance's giggles taunting him even after the door slammed shut behind him. It wasn't until the elevator pinged open that Keith realized, glancing down, that he was in fact barefoot. And hard again.

_Dammit Lance._

 

* * *

 

"Hey buddy... Is everything okay? Where's Lance? And, uh, where are your shoes...?" were the curious words out of Hunk's mouth as the big man ambled up to his mulleted friend just shy of an hour later.

At least it was just Hunk. Still Keith scowled, because of course he looked ridiculous sitting with his back against the stone building, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle, not bothering to conceal his lack of footwear. Already, three strangers in passing had tried to hand him spare change, thinking him down on his luck. (Not that they were entirely wrong, he mused.) Keith ignored the latter question and answered the first two succinctly: "Not really. Upstairs, probably gloating." Undecided as to whether Hunk's soft smile of understanding was better or worse a reaction than being laughed at, he did, after a moment's hesitation, accept the big man's offered hand to help him stand.

With a pat to the smaller man's back, Hunk cooed, "Come on. You get your shoes, leave corralling that goof to me. Everybody's waiting for us out back in the parking lot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I post daily, I realize not everyone has caught up and thus weren't able to respond to my comment/question in last chapter's notes - so I apologize if anyone is bothered by the (invetiable) inclusion of smut later in this fic. I promise to keep it tasty, I mean tasteful...but tasty, too.
> 
> This chapter was originally going to be less sexual tension and more still-peeved-about-that-knife klangst, but the boys were having none of that. (Lance was all like, "well you knew when he bought me this robe waaaaay back when that I'd eventually have to wear it, and that'd drive us both crazy enough to override other stuff." Yup, whoops!) 
> 
> Next up: The gang raids the Galra base, the so-heavily-guarded-they-might-be-f*cked Galra base... 
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3 *hugs*


	60. A Little Assurance As Well As Insurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe they could use a little help from a (maybe?) friend...

Huddled in the parking lot behind Lance's apartment building, Shiro prompted Coran to relay his exact visions of their raid on the Galra base; following the redhead's words, he added in his own specific ideas for the plan. It seemed simple enough. The Galra base, though located underneath the entire 3 block radius of Universal City Walk, could only be accessed via a faux loading/delivery door to a boutique called Cheekies. (Which, according to an enthused Shay, was a specialty makeup boutique.) Opening the door required someone of Galra descent - ahem, Keith - to press their hand upon the 'security' screen; once scanned, they'd be able to head downstairs. Coran's estimate of the number of guards within was spotty, varying per vision, though in his latest there were twenty-five so the group planned accordingly for that. In terms of defeating said Galra, they agreed to use the weapons acquired from last night's raid and in the case of Pidge, their ability. According to the redhead, these Galra would not risk endangering themselves by overloading anyone - namely the volatile-powered Keith and Hunk in particular - with quintessence, instead employing a combination of physical attacks and, if necessary, shooting the inhibitor. As assuring as that was, Shiro stressed the importance of avoiding getting hit, just in case their enemies became desperate. Only after all the Galra were incapacitated would Keith try to utilize their tech to patch them into the Voltron tracking system and, hopefully, uncover the whereabouts of Matt and Allura.

Lance, it turned out, did indeed have a car. Keith wasn't a car guy by any means, but he could certainly appreciate its sleek design and metallic blue exterior. When the powwow ended and everyone began divvying up who would ride with whom, Keith intended to go with his partner, so it was a surprise when Shiro insisted he come with him. And he wasn't the only one - Lance shot the prosthetic-armed man a fierce glare, and the clones, who'd been arguing over which one of them got to ride with their 'love muffin,' leveled furious looks at Keith. As if he was the one that suggested it, he inwardly scoffed. Rolling his eyes, Keith shrugged and murmured an agreement, suspecting the other man had something to speak with him about away from the others.

He did.

Still affected by yesterday's brush with quintessence, Keith's mind was unreadable; it was not, however, unreachable. Confirming his suspicions, Shiro's voice rang in his mind as they walked towards his motorcycle. ' _I'm assuming you have the blade of Marmora somewhere on you, tucked into your left boot based off how you're walking.'_ Huffing in indignation because he'd thought the placement wouldn't be obvious, Keith scowled as his friend chuckled and continued to mentally communicate: _'I think you'll agree, we have to figure out how to summon that masked Galra. Regardless of whether everything works out as planned, we will need his help, especially with navigating around the Galra's network; there's always the possibility the programs are written in an alien language, like I suspect those runes on that blade are, and he may be able to interpret for us. Also, we can only benefit from having another member to our team.'_

Glancing around to ensure everyone else was gone or, if not, out of hearing range, Keith replied, "Do the others know about him? I did tell Lance, obviously."

Waiting until they'd settled on his motorcycle and strapped on their respective helmets, Shiro eventually responded through his power: ' _Of course. By the way, Lance suspects what we're up to but he's not thinking of sharing it, especially with the clones; he's quite annoyed to be chauffeuring them. Let's hope he doesn't - literally - kick them out of the moving vehicle as he's fantasizing._ ' Snorting, Keith wrapped his arms around the other man's waist and braced himself as they drove off.

When Shiro determined the others were well ahead of them on US Route 101-S, he turned off prematurely, eventually pulling into a designated Park & Ride. Initially not impressed by his friend's decision to stop there, Keith revised his opinion as the other man managed to position his motorcycle so as to effectively block them from any traffic (foot and vehicular) beyond the lot. All they would have to worry about, he realized, was the possible appearance of the owners of the surrounding parked cars. Deeming that good enough, he didn't hesitate to remove his helmet and dismount, waiting until Shiro had followed suit before asking, "Any ideas on how to actually summon him?"

Raising an eyebrow, the other man, seeing no need to utilize his power, switched to communicating aloud. "Some. Have you tried to do it already?"

"No, when would I?"

"I figured you would've been up all night trying. Unless," Shiro flashed him a dimpled smile as he teased, "you were busy getting up on something, or should I say some _one_ , else." Though amused by his mulleted friend's answering blush and scowl, he went on to seriously suggest, "Since reading the runes is out, I think the most logical methods to try would be pricking a finger to see if blood will do it and, if not, literally state your desire to summon him."

"This isn't a fairytale, Shiro."

Shrugging, he countered, "Folklore is inspired by fact. With our limited knowledge and time, those are both viable."

Keith wasn't fond of either option but, given that he couldn't come up with anything better, he grudgingly agreed. Bending down to pull the knife from his boot, he unwrapped the blade from its makeshift sheath (i.e. a cut-up leather glove Lance assured him he already lacked the match to). Taking a shaky breath, he opted to go a step further than proposed and swipe the blade across the palm of his hand - just like out of a freaking fairytale, he thought sardonically - not too deep, just enough to produce a shallow, but bloody, slice. Ignoring Shiro's gasp, he shut his eyes and focused on picturing the masked Galra, inwardly wishing he would appear.

Several moments later, when he opened his eyes and saw no sign of the man in question, Keith snorted and, though he felt ridiculous doing it, declared, "I summon the Galra that gave me this blade, the blade of Marmora." Exchanging a look with Shiro, he added, "Come to me. Now. Please." Snickering when his friend face-palmed, Keith used the knife to cut the hem of his borrowed tshirt, hoping Lance woudn't be too angry at the damage, and wrapped the strip of cloth around his wound. To Shiro, he asked, "Now what?"

"We wait."

Impatiently, Keith spat, "Yeah but for how long? We've got limited time, remem-" His words were cut off abruptly when the blade began to heat up and glow. Eyes widening, he glanced at his friend; had he not been so freaked out, he would've rolled his eyes at the smug, dimpled grin on the other man's face. When he was able to find his voice, he repeated his question, albeit warily this time around.

Pulling his phone from his jacket pocket, Shiro tapped on the screen a few times before answering. His smile might not've faltered, but a frown was evident in his tone as he remarked, "Ten, fifteen minutes tops. Pidge's already texted me; I can make up an excuse for our delay. Fortunately Hunk and Lance haven't gotten there yet, so that helps. Maybe, if we have to leave before anything else happens, he'll be able to track us on the move, too."

That was assuming that's how the blade worked, Keith thought. Realizing there was little else to do, he sighed and slouched down, sitting cross-legged on the pavement with his back to the motorcycle.

 

* * *

 

The Galra didn't arrive within ten or fifteen minutes - it only took him five. Keith felt both alarmed and relieved that their wait was cut short, as he'd grown incredibly antsy as the minutes ticked by. Shiro, who'd been casually seated on his motorcycle, showed no outward reaction as a black convertible, its driver distinctly pale-skinned and smoking even from a distance, turned into the lot. Meanwhile, Keith was so quick to jump to his feet that he nearly face-planted, too nervous to blush over his eager awkwardness. His gaze was zeroed in on the Galra's face, more visible as the vehicle drew closer. With the mask on, exposing only his golden eyes, chin, jaw, and lips, it was impossible to discern the man's age or overall appearance. Unlike Sina, Sendak, or even Prorok, this Galra looked much more like the race's depiction in the 'Voltron' arcade game: pasty complexion giving the illusion of translucence with the delicate webbing of lilac veins along his high cheekbones and wide forehead, bat-like flared nostrils, slight point to his ears, and black hair reflecting plum and reddish highlights in the sunlight. Had he not bore a scar running from beneath his eye down his cheek and had his chin been larger, Keith mused, he would've looked like a mirror image of Zarkon. Grimacing at the reminder of the creepy emperor - their shared relative, apparently - he returned his attention back to the present as the Galra pulled into the empty spot two cars down, shifted gears to park but left the motor running, and hoisted himself up and over the door.

"I had hoped you would be in touch, pretty," the Galra said in lieu of greeting as he walked up to the duo. Dressed in a white tshirt (which did little to conceal his not-quite-as-big-as-Shiro's sculpted muscles), dark red leggings, and black leather sneakers, he looked more like a runway model than the mysterious assassin from the night before. Keith didn't have to be a mindreader to sense this was a facade, deliberate on his part; why, though, he was uncertain. To disarm them? Discourage them? When he asked as much - ignoring Shiro's mental warning not to insult the man - the Galra's lips quirked in that familiar way. After taking a drag from his cigarette, the Galra asked, "What is it you wish of me this day? Assistance, I know, but how?"

Instead of butting in as he had last time, Shiro gave Keith the go ahead to handle this, tacking on a plea to ' _be nice_.' Scoffing at his friend, the mulleted man did force his expression to soften as he turned to address their ~~hopefully~~ ally. "We're heading to raid the base beneath Universal City Walk, and we'd like you to join us, if you're able."

Humming thoughtfully, the Galra indulged in his vice once more. "Would you?" He murmured, eyes raking over both men, lingering on Keith's hand. Nodding towards it, he pointed out, "You'll need better bandaging than that. Top it with a glove, if possible. The tyrant's puppets will aim to exploit your weaknesses, physical and otherwise. One will absolutely try to engage you in hand-to-hand combat, just to further aggravate the injury." The Galra clucked his tongue and admonished, "For future reference, a single drop of blood is sufficient to summon me."

 _Be nice_ , Keith repeated to himself in an effort to cool his flaring impatience. Eyelid twitching, he grumbled (nicely), "Yeah okay. So it was the blood that made the blade bring you here?"

Shooting him an incredulous look, the Galra sputtered, "You mean...you are unable to understand our language? It is clear your sire was not Zarkon; whichever parent of yours was the defector, did he or she truly not teach you anything?"

Tensing at the word 'parent,' Keith swallowed back the 'go frack yourself' threatening to spill from his lips. A few moments and calming breaths later, he eventually trusted himself to speak again. Not wanting to waste any more time, he asked, "Will you come with us or not?"

Narrowing his eyes, the Galra took a final drag of his cigarette before dropping it to the pavement and snuffing it out. "For a blade of Marmora to yield despite your ignorance and bumbling, it is obvious you are not only a worthy but exceptionally, naturally powerful. Therefore, I must fight alongside you, my brother." He let out a sigh then said, "You may call me Kolivan."

Keith blinked as he watched the man stalk back his car, reeling from both his acceptance to help them and the revelation of what he gathered was his name. Kolivan certainly sounded more like a name than a title...or did it? Too flustered to ask, he shook to clear the thought from his head. Turning to Shiro, he was annoyed, but not shocked, to see the other man looking as composed as ever. The mindreader didn't bother with words, aloud or telepathically, as he gestured for his friend to get on the motorcycle.

 

* * *

 

Lance was the first to react when they turned into the 'deliveries only' lot behind a row of boutiques, Cheekies included. The brunette's expression dramatically morphed from happiness at spotting his partner to jaw-dropped horror at Kolivan trailing close behind. He almost got himself hit by both the motorcycle and car as he ran over, arms flailing as he screeched, "WHAT THE QUIZNAK?! YOU REALLY WENT AND SUMMONED THAT JERK?!" Said jerk responding by laughing so loud that everyone else, Lance included, flinched at the sound. Unbothered, Kolivan had an extra, gleeful bounce to his step as he hopped out of the car and went 'round to the trunk, opening it to - Keith gaped - don some type of black, alien armor and a mini-arsenal of weaponry. By the time Kolivan was suited up in his entire ensemble, intimidating black and purple metal mask and all, the others had recovered and armed themselves with the confiscated guns, Keith even manging to tape up his palm and borrow a pair gloves in Hunk's car.

Shiro, taking the lead, motioned for everyone to come along as he turned, walking determinedly straight ahead for the - obvious now that they knew what to look for - locked entrance to the enemy base. Keith's stomach knotted as he slipped off the glove from his uninjured hand, glancing from it to the touch screen and back.

When he raised his hand to press it to the darkened screen, it took all his inner strength not to succumb to the panic bubbling beneath his skin as the device lit up and the door unlocked with a series of telltale clicks. _Show time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! I worked a double yesterday so I had little time to finish editing the chapter. I ended up breaking it in half just so I could get something up tonight, so the next part'll be posted tomorrow. ^_^
> 
> Next up: The actual raid...and the gang finally gets some answers, among other things.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	61. All About Dat Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to fight and get what they came for.

Keith wasn't claustrophobic - or at least, he wasn't usually - but upon wrenching open the metal door and peering down the darkened stairwell, he felt his throat constrict and pulse quicken at the prospect of having to walk into the abyss below. So engrossed with his rising panic, he almost didn't feel the sharp poke to his side. Turning, and expecting to see Lance or even Shiro, he visibly jumped at coming face-to-face, well face-to-mask, with Kolivan. While his other friends hung back, the Galra was all but plastered to his back. Cheeks reddened with embarrassment, Keith attempted to shift aside to allow the other man to enter first; to his surprise, Kolivan nudged him to lead...though it shouldn't really have surprised him, as the masked man reminded him, "You are able to light the way, my brother."

Right. Still feeling something akin to dread, Keith managed to nod sharply and forced himself to take a shaky breath then channeled his power to illuminate his exposed forearms and face. Slipping the glove back on his exposed hand, he took the first step down the narrow, dank staircase, inwardly praying it didn't lead directly into the heart of the Galra base, otherwise he'd be shot on the spot. Though Shiro could not read his mind, the man was a master at reading body language as he mentally reassured his friend: ' _there is a corridor before we get into the actual base, you'll be okay_.' Letting out a small sigh of relief, Keith wished he could hug the other man for allaying that fear; he settled for picking up his pace, no doubt appreciated by everyone stuck following at his previous snails pace.

Finally at the bottom, Keith grunted with displeasure at the sewer-resembling tunnel - not corridor, Shiro - they'd have to follow to, from what he could see ahead, a door about 50 feet down. The only plus side, he grudgingly acknowledged, was that there was ample width for two, or three depending on their size, people to walk side-by-side. Pidge, the most petite of the group, managed to squeeze and zip their way to the front to Keith's side. Glancing over his shoulder, he felt some tension ebb from his body at finding Shiro and Lance at their back, Kolivan appearing to have taken the rear along with Hunk. When Lance shot him a dazzling grin and wink, he blushed and turned his attention forward once more.

We're gonna be okay, Keith thought, he will be okay, dammit. Spine straightening along with his resolve, the mulleted man tightened his grip on the Galra gun as they neared the final barrier between them and their destination. Again, this door required a hand scan; as Keith removed his glove and raised his uninjured hand to the screen, he noticed Pidge from the corner of his eye begin to vibrate, prepared to zoom in any second. This door, unlike the other, was sliding kind, so it abruptly hissed and exposed them to what lay beyond...

 

* * *

 

Firing shot after shot, ducking to avoid strikes and inhibitor bullets, Keith hardly had time to catch his breath, let alone think, amidst the chaos. When he could find a moment where his safety wasn't in extreme imminent danger, he took it to curse Coran inwardly. The redhead's visions were subject to change - it made sense - but this much?! There hadn't been 25 soldiers waiting for them. There hadn't even been 50 soldiers, which would've certainly proved a challenge. No, there were close to 100 angry, armed, and skilled Galra crowded in the massive control room. Like his group, they'd obviously formed some sort of plan should Keith and his friends show up; their plan, he thought bitterly as a large hand snaked its way into his long hair and yanked his head back, was working.

Not that his group's plan _wasn't_. Kolivan was striking down Galra left and right, armor effectively blocking shots and punches, wielding his own blade of Marmora, looking like a true alien assassin or ninja. Speaking of... Shiro, even with his prosthetic arm now rendered a useless, dangling mess, continued to beat any Galra that dared tried to engage him in physical combat. The man had to be ex-military, or a spy, or heck maybe of another alien race, because the way he drew his gun when necessary while swiftly kicking away other attackers was impressive and a bit terrifying. Clearly the Galra felt similarly, as the wiser ones actively avoided crossing his path, leaving the stubborn big-hitters to have at him.

Pidge sped in a blur around the room, their accompanying gust of wind hardly a warning as they tripped up enemies forces in an attempt to help out any struggling friends - like Keith, whose hair was freed as his assailant from behind met with the rapid-fire strikes of the speedster's tiny fist, eventually knocking the Galra out flat on his back. Unable to thank them, because they'd already rushed off and he did still have to evade shots from across the room, Keith was quick to dive behind a clunky terminal of some kind. Same one, he almost wept upon discovering, as Lance. The brunette was drenched in sweat and had the telltale swelling around his eyes signifying a future black and blue, but otherwise he appeared no worse for wear. In fact, Lance shot his partner a cocky grin as he teased, "Bet I've taken out more of those buggers than you, mullet." Rolling his eyes, Keith gave in to the impulse and leaned in to place a brief peck to the brunette's cheek before popping back up to take his shots. It took a moment, but he was pleased to see Lance at his side and backing him up, firing at any Galra that made for them.

Once his gun ran out of bullets, Keith pulled the blade of Marmora from his boot, unsure at first of whether it was a good or bad thing that the knife started glowing in his hands. Reluctantly abandoning his post with Lance, he ran in to assist the clones, who were not only gun-less but hit multiple times with the darts of what had to be the inhibitor; the duo was having a difficult time avoiding enemy fire and physical strikes at the same time. As Keith stabbed the largest of their assailants, he spotted Coran and Shay shoot at the others from the other side of the room. With the reprieve, the clones seemed to muster a second-wind and struck out anew at their enemies. Deeming the two 'okay enough,' Keith glanced around to see where he would be needed next. To the far left, Hunk was clutching his bloody side and fighting off a trio of Galra; however, before the mulleted man could move to help, Lance was at the big man's side, swinging a broken piece of something (equipment?).

Blinking, it dawned on Keith that despite being ridiculously outmanned and outgunned, they were actually winning this battle. 100 Galra had dwindled down to 40, and there was still plenty of fight left in his group. (Well, at least most of them.)

Something tapping his shouler shook Keith from his reverie; blindly, he readied his knife and spun to face his would-be assailant. Kolivan caught his arm mid strike, obviously ready for such a reaction. Murmuring an apology, the mulleted man tried to pull himself free and flinched when he could not. "W-what...?"

"Come." Kolivan tugged a still-too-startled-to-respond Keith towards a wall-mounted control panel, stabbing with the blade in his free hand any Galra stupid to approach them. Once there, he sheathed his weapon and proceeded to yank the glove off of Keith's uninjured hand, tossing it to the ground. Ignoring the other man's gasp, Kolivan directed Keith to touch one of the darkened screens. "You have fought well, but we must retreat before reinforcements arrive." When it light up, he offered, "I shall guide you. What information is it you seek?"

Oh. Dimly, he admonished himself for hesitating. Get what you need and run, his mind screamed, urging his mouth to cooperate and form words. After what felt like slow-motion hours - but was truly a minute tops - Keith stammered, "V-Voltron, the tr-tracking system." Pausing, he added, voice much softer, "Our missing friends, t-too."

Face hidden by the mask, it was impossible to tell how Kolivan felt about the other man's requests. His voice was also devoid of emotion as he instructed Keith on how to operate the equipment. "Think of this as your touchpad, the screen above as your monitor. Notice the runes it is showing? Those are markers, or icons, for applications on the network." He pointed to a triangular symbol and explained, "To view the status of their search for Voltron." With Kolivan guiding his fingers to scroll on the touchscreen, Keith managed to access that program. Unfortunately, the jumble of characters that next popped up on the monitor were unrecognizable to him; he looked to the other man for an interpretation. "It is a true liability for a Galra not to know his language," Kolivan mocked. Letting out an amused snort at the mulleted man's scowl, he continued, "Voltron is most assuredly here on Earth. They have yet to uncover its specific location, but they have it narrowed down to a region - ours. Their trackers indicate the weapon is hidden somewhere within a cluster of states: California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. No doubt they've already dispatched forces to scout across the areas, though it appears they only made this connection last night so you may stand a chance at beating them to it. Voltron did select you and your friends, of all people, for a reason."

Reeling from that alarming news, Keith didn't register Kolivan pulling his hand from the touchscreen until the Galra clasped and squeezed it. (In reassurance? he wondered.) He hardly had time to process that when the masked man drew a gun from his holster and shot the panel. Horrified, Keith yanked his hand away and screeched, "What did you do?! I wasn't done, my friends-"

Kolivan cut him off. "Are being held by the prince and his gladiators." Without turning from Keith, he raised the gun and fired at what must've been an enemy drawing close. To the gaping man, he insisted, "I will accompany your group to liberate them, my brother."

Torn between wanting to curse himself for not thinking to ask the masked man about his missing friends and curse Kolivan for his secrecy - just what else did he know?! - Keith settled for growling in indignation and, now that he guessed he did have what he wanted, rounding up the others to retreat, all the while keeping an eye on their masked 'ally.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Kolivan, you tricky Galra...
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	62. Like An Open Wound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle, the gang heads to Kolivan's house to get patched up and discuss business...

Making it back up to the ground/parking lot level proved easier said than done. Most of the group sustained superficial, if any, injuries while battling with the Galra, the exceptions being Hunk (who'd been stabbed in the side) and Shiro (whose prosthetic arm had eventually been further damaged during a particularly nasty struggle). As those two needed to be evacuated first - despite Shiro's insistence that he was 'fine' - Keith and Kolivan provided distraction for Lance and Shay to assist a barely-standing Hunk; it took the combined effort of the clones, Pidge, and Coran to drag the protesting Shiro upstairs after the others. Once his friends had cleared the room, Keith looked to Kolivan for how to safely escape the remaining Galra forces closing in and threatening to overwhelm them. His eyes widened as, in answer to his silent question, the masked man produced a grenade from within a compartment of his armored chest plate. No further prompting was needed as Keith fled the room, nearly tripping over his own feet to reach the stairs. Still, he spared a glance back and was relieved to see Kolivan had not decided to sacrifice himself; instead, the Galra released the grenade in the room and shot up the control panel upon exiting it, effectively trapping their enemies within. The materials used to construct the base did offer them protection from the blast, but both men were shook by the resounding vibrations, nearly toppling backwards before they made it to the top. To the people visiting the Universal City Walk shops and attractions, the rumbling was, Keith mused, probably mistaken for a small earthquake - only he, his friends, and their new ally were the wiser.

Expecting Kolivan to shoot the handscan panel for the door leading to what was left of the base, Keith was surprised when the masked man left it alone. Though curious, his mind was soon preoccupied as the discoveries from earlier hit him anew. _Voltron's here. This guy knows where Matt and Allura are._ Now, he realized, came the difficult part: relaying that information to the others and then figuring out how to proceed. Cursing the quintessence preventing Shiro from extracting the thoughts form his head, thus doing the 'dirtywork' for him, Keith mulled over possible wording as he trailed behind Kolivan and walked to the vehicles, where everyone else was gathered around.

Meeting Lance's eyes, his stomach twisted when the brunette's smile slipped; Keith didn't have to look into a mirror to know his facial expression reflected his inner conflict.

"Voltron's here, isn't it?" Shiro asked, tone betraying no emotion. He was slumped against the trunk of Hunk's car beside the big man himself; Shay and the clones, who'd been hovering over them, paused in their administrations and turned their attention on Keith. Pidge and Coran followed suit. Kolivan, already aware of the facts, busied himself with removing his mask and armor, turning to the trunk of his own car to place the pieces inside.

Licking his lips, Keith nodded. "Yeah. They believe it's somewhere between this state, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona."

"That's a lot of ground to cover, not to mention underground to cover," Lance mused aloud.

"Speak for yourself," Pidge huffed. Jerking a thumb towards themselves, they reassured the others, "I can run a search of that entire span before those boneheads even catch my literal drift."

Hunk voice was strained with pain as he pointed out, "Y-you don't know what to look for. We don't know enough about V-Voltron." He clutched his side and groaned, drawing his friends' focus to his injured state.

Shay's face was taunt with worry as she urged, "We have to get you to a hospital." She looked to Shiro and added, "Both of you, honey."

It was a testament to the tenseness of the situation that Lance didn't make a joke about the endearment or the potential misinterpretation of Shiro being her 'honey,' too. Everyone, in fact, was concerned about the injured duo...everyone except for Kolivan. The mask- and armor-free Galra had just finished retying his leather sneakers when he blandly offered, "I'll tend to them." Snorting at the mix of confused, surprised, and, in the case of Lance, outraged reactions, Kolivan explained, "I have medical training."

"Hunk has medical training," Lance snarled.

Pidge rolled their eyes. "That hardly counts; he deals with weighing kittens and taking the temps of poopy puppies all day."

Unperturbed, Lance scoffed. "He removed a bullet from a clone and saved his life!"

" _Once_."

"Guys!" Shiro angrily and Hunk weakly admonished in unison. Contrite, the speedster and the brunette mumbled apologies.

Keith, seizing the opportunity to step in, asked, "Can you do anything for him too?" Gesturing towards the one man's sparse, mangled remnants of the prosthetic arm, he said, "I doubt you have a fully functioning prosthetic in your possession..." He paused. "Or do you?"

Lips quirked in amusement, Kolivan replied, "I can most assuredly sterilize and stitch up the large man's wound. As for the other," he made a show of giving Shiro a once-over then continued wryly, "I may have something for him as well."

"Hunk." Even in pain, the big man managed a (small) smile as he introduced himself. "My name is Hunk."

Was Kolivan actually aware of their names? Shooting a sideways look at the Galra, Keith raised a brow and tried to watch for any signs of recognition as the other followed the big man's example and revealed their names, though Lance only did so after Pidge punched him in the arm. Last left, Keith murmured his own name; at that, Kolivan's mouth twitched. _Huh_.

"I appreciate your effort to welcome me to your group, paladins. However, I must insist we leave this place immediately, not only because of the injured but the risk of being seen and detained, and I do not mean by the Galra. Unless anyone objects, I will lead you to my residence, as there I have the necessary supplies to aid both men." When Lance parted his lips, obviously ready to object, Keith slapped a hand over the brunette's mouth just as Pidge struck his arm again.

Ignoring the other man's attempt to gain freedom by licking his palm, Keith willed himself not to blush at the ticklish, pleasant sensation and directed at Kolivan, "That's great, thank you." To the others, he asked, "So, uh, how should we reconfigure the rides? Since Hunk and Shiro are, um..."

"I trust you to ride my bike," Shiro informed the mulleted man. "As I can't hold on properly, I'll have to go by car."

"You can come with us," Shay said. "It'll be better if there's someone to keep an eye on Hunk while I drive, anyways."

Finally at his limit, Keith pulled his hand back, fighting the urge to shiver at how tingly his skin now felt from his partner's tongue. The brunette, meanwhile, was keen to express his ~~complaints~~ opinions on the ride situation. "So I'm once again bereft of my sexy babe's companionship? Pfft, FINE. I'll take Coran and, _I guess_ , the clones."

Kolivan turned to head to his car, seemingly done with the matter and eager to leave. His voice carried, however, as he mocked aloud, "And _these_ are Voltron's chosen..."

 

* * *

 

Had the circumstances been different, Keith would've derived more joy from riding Shiro's motorcycle. As it were, he could barely muster a flicker of glee as he speedily but smoothly took the turn onto Kolivan's street. Of course, he thought sardonically, the Galra lived in a wealthy, gated community. All of the houses, more like mansions, were intimidating in size as well as beauty. Kolivan pulled into the driveway of a two-story estate with floor-to-ceiling windows, lush flora, and, from what Keith could see, an enormous pool in the backyard.

Not bothering to wait until everyone had parked, the Galra strutted into his home and left the front door open, an invite no doubt for them to follow. Disturbed and annoyed upon realizing how alike he and the other blade of Marmora wielder were in attitude (certainly not lifestyle), Keith forced himself to hang back until at least Lance was ready before heading inside. Pidge, however, beat him to being first in anyways, having rushed right in a second behind the homeowner. The inside of Kolivan's mansion was even more impressive than the exterior: stone floors throughout, posh furniture, high-tech gadgets, and borderline gaudy chandeliers. Pidge's blur and trademark gust of wind could be seen and felt pinging from one room to the next; wisely, they were checking every area in case of danger...or so Keith thought. Before he could take a step towards the living room, the speedster suddenly appeared in front of him, a bright smile plastered on their face. Addressing someone behind him - it turned out to be Hunk and Shiro - they chirped, "Dude's got a makeshift operating room upstairs. Comes in handy for times like these, but you gotta wonder what he else uses it for. I'm betting he has a medical kink."

Down a hand and the other supporting Hunk, Shiro was unable to face-palm, settling for groaning and rolling his eyes as the speedster chuckled. The other man's normally dark skin looked ashen from the blood loss, too pained to acknowledge his friend's comment. Lance, frowning at Hunk's weakened state, stepped in to help both men up the stairs. Keith intended to follow but asked Pidge, "Which room?"

"Take a left at the top of the stairs, it's the third door down." Brushing of the mulleted man's murmured of thanks, they replied, "If you need me, I'll be in the basement - in the freaking bowling alley in his basement." Keith blinked in response, the speedster gone before he could form a verbal comeback. Pushing that news aside, he headed after his partner and their wounded friends, not surprised to hear Shay's distinct tread a few steps behind.

Makeshift operating room indeed. An hour later, Keith stood with his arms crossed watching from a respectable distance as the Galra, who just had to be a surgeon of some kind, worked with graceful precision to finish patching up Hunk's side. Shay was actively assisting, tears drying and looking more relieved as the procedure drew to a close. The clones were cooing over Shiro, assuring him the 'creepy hybrid' would figure out a way to help him, too. Had the mood been less tense, Keith would've snickered at the trio. Unlike him, Lance stood watch right over Kolivan's shoulder; the Galra, he mused, had the patience of a saint, as he showed no reaction to his fidgety, tongue-clucking shadow. Although, Keith realized, the man was probably more concerned with perfectly stitching up the wound than the brunette's antics. Only Coran and Pidge were missing from the room, the redhead claiming an intention to wrangle the speedster. It was obvious after 20 minutes that Coran either got distracted by the house's splendor or Pidge in a game of bowling.

(He still couldn't believe there was a bowling alley in the basement...Or maybe he could. After seeing this room, anything was possible.)

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Keith realized, with dread, that he hadn't even gotten to tell the others about Matt and Allura. Not that he knew much - Kolivan did. Eyes narrowing, his mind began to wander to what else the man might know. About Voltron? Certainly. About Zarkon? Obviously. About Keith's Galra parent and ancestor? ...Maybe. Anything was possible at this point. Though eager to broach those topics, Keith, grudgingly, had the sense to wait until Hunk was taken care of and Kolivan had turned to wash up before examining Shiro.

"Maybe we should go get Pidge and Coran because," he paused to clear his throat then continued, "there's stuff we need to discuss."

Kolivan seemingly ignored him, but his friends shot him curious looks. Lance, head cocked to the side, said, "Understatement of the century. But babe, Voltron's gonna have to wait until we're all recovered. We did, after all, fight a quiznaking army today."

"There's more to it than that." Sighing, Keith rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Can you just text Pidge for them to come here? Please." Much to his pleasure his partner, though grumbling, did as asked.

Pidge appeared almost instantly, boldly declaring their victory over the redhead. It took Coran five minutes to trod up the stairs and into the room, during which Pidge was zipping around to fiddle with the medical equipment while Kolivan had produced a - Keith rolled his eyes - replacement prosthetic arm. "Galra tech," the Galra answered without prompting, "more durable and functional than any humans have crafted." Noticing Shiro's wary expression, he offered, "I can simply remove the damaged remnants and leave the stump bare, should you prefer to contact your healthcare provider and get a new one through him or her. That will take some time, though. My solution is safe, I assure you, as well as useful for the challenges you paladins shall next face." No one could deny the Galra tech arm looked badass, and relatively similar in its attachment to what Shiro'd had; still, it did take several minutes of tense silence for the man to agree to it.

As much as Keith wanted to study the procedure, the weight of holding back on his friends was too heavy to carry anymore. "We know where Matt and Allura are." Ignoring the gasps of everyone (save Kolivan, who didn't falter as he set about fixing his patient's arm), he clarified, "Well, he does."

Unbothered by having so many suspicious eyes on him, Kolivan continued to work as he, in a tone denoting boredom, said, "The prince has them, yes. At his estate in Beverly Hills, which is guarded by a set of gladiators. They are the product of Haggar's experiments, hybrids, bred, augmented, and trained to be the perfect warriors."

There were so many things wrong with that casually confession, Keith wasn't sure where to begin; fortunately, Shiro stepped in. The man was clenching his jaw at the discomfort of being prodded but was clear-headed enough to respond, "We have to get our friends as soon as possible, before we can even think about going after Voltron. These gladiators must be like the ones in the game, yes? But what about this...prince? Who's that?"

"Lotor: Zarkon's heir, the _second_ son of his most favorite concubine." The anger in Kolivan's voice was startling, though the man was still careful with handling his patient.

That name sounded familiar to Keith; it was Pidge that blurted out the reminder, "Matt's date, the guy that tried to creep on him!"

"Yes," the Galra's tone was back to its typical neutrality as he chimed, "When his good looks and honeyed words prove insufficient, the prince does lash out, like the spoiled brat that he is." Kolivan paused to finish unhinging the (remnants of the) old prosthetic from Shiro's arm then murmured darkly, "But do not take him lightly. Lotor is a _murderer_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


	63. You Asked For It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kolivan enlightens the gang on a few things, but they're left feeling anything but light after what they hear

After his cryptic statement, Kolivan seemed to finally reach the end of his patience, insisting anyone non-injured and not-Shay leave the room, even going so far as to snidely assure a ready-to-object Lance that no harm would come to Hunk or Shiro. His exact words: "If I wanted to hurt or kill your friends, I wouldn't put on a pretense of patching them up. They're safe...you, on the other hand..." Keith was quick to drag his sputtering partner out the door, for fear the other man might not be joking. (Galra weren't really known for their senses of humor, were they?)

Once on the main floor, Lance was still grumbling but no longer actively struggling in a bid to race back upstairs and pick a fight. Coran suggested they eat, given how many hours it'd been since any of them had breakfast; whether the redhead was referring to ordering takeout or not was unclear, as the clones immediately offered to prepare lunch and ran for the kitchen. Keith attempted to stop them but was cut short by Lance, who's face was lit up with wicked glee, "Rich boy wants us to make ourselves at home, right? Dude'll probably be happy we took him up on that."

Raising an eyebrow, Keith pointed out, "I don't recall him saying that." Turning to Pidge and Coran, he asked, "Do you?" The speedster snickered and sped off to (he assumed) join the clones, the redhead following suit after shrugging in response. Rolling his eyes, Keith looked to the brunette with narrowed eyes. "Kolivan's the only one who knows exactly where Matt and Allura are, not to mention what Voltron actually is. We can't afford to offend him."

Taking ahold of his partner's hand and giving it a squeeze, Lance's expression softened a fraction as he grudgingly admitted, "I think it'll take a lot more than messing up his spiffy kitchen for him to turn his back on us, or should I say _you_. You are his special knife buddy, babe." With that, he tugged on Keith's hand and led the now brooding man down the hall where the others had disappeared down.

Keith perked up as soon as they stepped into the kitchen, worries forgotten as he looked around the room. It was more than spiffy - it was glorious, like something out of a fancy home magazine: white marble floor, recessed lighting highlighting every fleck of sparkle in the grey hue speckled countertop, black glossy cabinets, stainless steel appliances of all manner conceivable (and some inconceivable...was that a pretzel-making press?), and a knife block carved to look like a human head. Okay, he thought, that's more awesome than it is disturbing. Glancing at Lance, he snickered at the gaping brunette. Leaning in, Keith couldn't resist teasing, "Bet you wish you were his 'special knife buddy,' too."

That seemed to shake Lance from his stupor. Scoffing, he replied, "Pfft! It takes more than money and glitz to win me over." The brunette's demeanor shifted, waggling his eyebrows as he flirted, lips slowly drawing closer to the other's, "The only thing I wish is that we were back at my place, because you were hot as hell today and I really wanna get on my knees and suc-"

"EWWWW!" Pidge's loud cry of faux(?) disgust startled both men apart. Keith blushed when faced with the petite speedster, Lance glaring at the interruption. Not intimidated in the slightest, they jeered, "Please keep the dirty talk for when you two goofs are actually alone." The clones nodded in agreement, pouting as they continued to chop up vegetables for what was probably a salad. Coran, on the other hand, looked wistful as he leaned across the counter, chin resting in his hand. The redhead murmured something about 'young love' before straightening up and assisting in the meal preparation.

Flustered, Keith pulled away from his partner and approached the counter where the others were working. Despite his lack of culinary know-how, he did ask, "Can I help?" To his relief, the clones shooed him and informed him they and Coran had it covered. Awkwardly, he shuffled to the informal dining nook where Pidge and Lance had seated themselves, taking up the chair beside the brunette.

"So," Pidge addressed to Keith, "you think Kolivan is legit?"

Furrowing his brow, he countered, "You don't?"

"I didn't say that." Their tone implied, however, that they may've thought it. "We don't know much about him, do we? Do _you_?" Lance shot him a look that was equally curious.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Keith answered honestly, "We don't. I know he comes across as shady but, well, all the Galra seem to in some degree. One could even make that argument for me sometimes, I guess." Pausing to clear his throat, he continued, "But I think, for the sake of finding Matt and Allura as well as Voltron, we need to take him at his word and accept whatever assistance he's willing to give. We succeeded today largely because of him; he actually took out more Galra than any of us, even Shiro. If those gladiators and 'prince' Lotor are as bad as he claims, having Kolivan at our side will greatly improve our chances at defeating them."

Lance - Keith knew he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was - backed him up and chimed in, "And he's literally saved Hunk's life, maybe Shiro's too depending on if any injury to his prosthetic and where it attaches to his shoulder was at risk for infection. Rich boy hooked Shiro up with a shiny new arm, too. I don't like the guy, but I'm not about to hold his heritage against him. No one else should, either." Pleased by some/most of the man's words, Keith leaned over to place a quick kiss to his partner's cheek, ignoring the speedster gagging in the background.

When Pidge was done mocking the couple, they hummed thoughtfully. "We do need to know more about him, though, if he's going to be part of our team. Like how does he know that Lotor scumbag has my brother? Did he go to Guilty Pleasures knowing we'd be there, or was it just a coincidence? And just look at this place. He's obviously a doctor or serial killer, maybe both, because _you don't wanna know what he keeps in his nightstand_." They smirked at the duo's horrified (Lance) and intrigued-but-uneasy (Keith) expressions. "But the fact that he's filthy rich and has that bowling setup more than makes up for it; seriously, we need to play a game later."

And Lance has the nerve to poke fun at my paranoia, Keith thought with a roll of his eyes. The speedster certainly matched, possibly surpassed, him. Debating about what to comment on first, he froze with his mouth open when a familiar voice rang out from the doorway, "I agree, you should take some time to unwind after such a trying day." Lips quirking in amusement, Kolivan strut into the room, Shay following behind and giving the trio a disapproving look reminiscent of how a mother might react to her errant children. The Galra's tone betrayed neither pleasure nor annoyance as he informed the clones and Coran, who'd paused with utensils poised in the air, "Hunk is napping but will be unable to eat for several hours. I do suggest you ready a plate to take to Shiro. He wished to lie down but expressed his intention to remain awake."

At the uttering of their crush/beloved's name, both clones sprung into action and hurried to pile on salad and a selection of cold cuts in a bowl. One grabbed a fork and napkin while the other insisted on carrying the dish, the two bickering as they scurried off. Coran, though still bemused by Kolivan's sudden appearance and casual attitude, did move to bring the main platters over to the table, muttering a thanks to Shay as she brought plates and cutlery for everyone. The Galra, meanwhile, gracefully sunk into the seat across from Keith, mouth curled into a full-blown smile at the trio's wide-eyed stares.

"Let us enjoy this lunch your friends so thoughtfully arranged, after which I am more than happy to answer your questions, Pidge, as well as any from Keith...or the others." The mulleted man's stomach twisted, knowing it was coming even before Kolivan tacked on, "So long as you answer mine."

 _Quiznak_.

 

* * *

 

One might've mistaken Keith for a persnickety eater with how slowly, meticulously he consumed his food. Really, he was (childishly) trying to delay the inevitable Q&A not that he wasn't interested, he just worried the Galra might genuinely be offended by not only however much of Pidge's commentary he heard but also their use of his kitchen without asking first. Putting himself in the other man's position, Keith knew he would've been annoyed, probably would've kicked them the heck out of his house. That Kolivan hadn't was either a testament to his strong desire to beat Zarkon at any cost - even if it meant putting up with rude guests - or strong(er) desire to embarrass them and then kick them out. Stomach lurching, Keith forced himself to take the final bite, ignoring the stares of everyone else at the table who'd finished already. The clones had yet to return, so he held a modicum of hope that the ~~revenge~~ inquisition would be delayed until then.

No such luck. Shay and Coran kindly offered to clean the plates and, when both Lance and Pidge tried to help, Kolivan motioned for them and Keith to follow him with a flick of his wrist as he made his way out the large, sliding backdoor. Hesitantly, the trio stepped outside and joined the man on the porch overlooking the enormous pool. Clearly intent to make good on his earlier ~~offer~~ threat, the man began, "I wouldn't call myself 'filthy' rich, but I do live a beyond comfortable life. I _was_ a plastic surgeon, but my duty to liberate my people and spare this world from the tyrant take priority over all else." He paused to pull out a box of cigarettes from his pocket, shaking out one and placing it between his lips. Returning the pack to his pocket, he fished out an engraved platinum and diamond-studded lighter to lit his cigarette. After taking a long drag and sighing in content, Kolivan spoke again. "I'd hoped to see you at that sniveling coward Morvok's nightclub after learning of your raids on the other weapons caches, but I did not go there with the sole goal to do so. I was seeking the whereabouts of Lotor; Morvok, for all his weakness, is highly skilled at knowing everyone else's business, especially the prince's."

That made sense, but Keith had to wonder aloud, "But wouldn't Morvok turn around and tell Lotor after? What if he's not in Beverly Hills anymore? What if he moved Matt and Allura, or what if they were never there to begin with?"

Kolivan tilted his head and took another puff of his cigarette. "I thought it was obvious, Keith." The mulleted man tried not to shiver at the way his name rolled off the other man's tongue like a caress. "I wanted Morvok to alert Lotor to my presence and inquiry. That, if anything, ensures the prince won't flee or hide his hostages; he won't pass up an opportunity to fight me."

Keith suspected he knew the answer, but he still prompted when the Galra showed no signs of continuing, "Because...? Does this have to do with what you said about him being a murderer?" Lance and Pidge appeared equally curious.

"In a way," the man replied. He indulged in his nicotine fix a few more times then explained, tone heavy with pain, "He killed our mother."

 _Oh_. Keith blinked, not expecting that answer. Did that mean he was- "Lotor's the second son of Zarkon's favorite, erm, lover, right? So you're the first?" At the Galra's sharp nod, Keith felt his chest tighten with empathy. Knowing there was more to the story but not wanting to cause the man any further distress, he switched to a (hopefully) less sensitive topic. "We know very little about Haggar and her druids. I did meet one, Sina, who I guess is my direct relative somehow, but she wouldn't reveal anything useful about them. You said Haggar augmented the gladiators. What else does she do or has she done?"

The relief at the change of subject was palpable in Kolivan's voice as he answered, "Haggar is Zarkon's most trusted advisor, descending from a former rival race known as the Alteans; the emperor had them exterminated and their planet destroyed, save for the witch who'd sold out her own people to the Galra. While our kind is revered for their might, hers were famed for their magic. She employs Altean spells to serve the tyrant's will. Among other things, she's responsible for enchanting the machine that granted your powers as well as creating both the quintessence and vreshk, inhibiting, serums. She also uses her abilities to grant Zarkon and herself longevity. They are both near 10,000 years in age."

Lance was the first to react to that alarming bit of news. "Cat-bat just gets creepier by the minute. He's the ultimate dirty old man. Like how many chicks is this bugger tapping? How are they falling for him anyways? Dude's quiznaking nasty!" Though Keith agreed with the sentiment, he winced at the brunette's word choice. Would Kolivan be offended by the insult to his father, especially given their, based off the game, resemblance?

Luckily, he wasn't. With a snort, the Galra quipped, "His harem currently consists of only 4 humans and 2 hybrids."

There's one previous, unsettling suspicion confirmed, Keith thought wryly. That definitely opened the possibility of Sina being his cousin, not aunt. With that in mind, he asked, "Did you know Sina and our relative?"

"I know of the young druid but I had no direct interaction with her. Her bloodline, and thus yours, is almost as esteemed as mine. It certainly explains why the blade of Marmora yields to you, even with your gross ignorance of our culture and language. Which, by the way, I will remedy. Your life, and the lives of your fellow paladins, may be compromised if you remain so."

That wasn't something Keith had been angling for or considering, but he supposed he could try. Shrugging, he acquiesced then brought up Voltron. "What is it?" Kolivan rolled his eyes and tutted.

"Yet another thing I must educate you on." Snuffing out his cigarette, he pointed his finger at the group. "Listen closely, and do not interrupt. Voltron is an ancient weapon, created by the same Altean race I spoke of before. It is comprised of five components that, when piloted and united, form a robot warrior. The Alteans intended it to fight as the champion of the universe against the Galra and any other warmongers hellbent on genocide. Each of the individual vessels is designed to choose its own paladin; that there are more than five of you gifted with powers suggests you may have some leeway as to who has to take up arms...or that Voltron recognizes the danger and figures as long as one of you fools survives, it may still rise to fulfill its purpose."

Not amused by the Galra's attempt at a joke - or was it? - Lance interjected when the other man stopped to ready a new cigarette. "Two things. One: if Voltron's anything like in the game, it wouldn't just accept any combination of five. There has to be a specific lineup it's gunning for; like I'm, without a doubt, destined for the blue lion. Ooh, the components _are_ actually lion robots, right? _Please say yes._ Oh, and two: there's a flaw to your story. No way would something designed to fight to save others allow el hijo de perra loca to control it."

"Of course it would." Kolivan looked bored as he went on to say, "Zarkon led the original paladins, he piloted the black lion. As there have been no pilots since, the lion is still bonded to him. Time, distance, and infamy cannot erase that, only a new paladin can. Whoever among you that turns out to be -" Keith suddenly felt like the Galra was zeroing in on him, though the man's gaze nor expression faltered as he droned on, "must reach Voltron first, otherwise the tyrant shall be able to seize control of the weapon even with the absence of paladins for the other lions. The black lion is truly the head of Voltron, all obey its command."

Okay, Keith thought, so maybe finding Voltron was high priority. Still, they couldn't put off finding Matt and Allura, either; their friends had to come first, even if it meant risking the rest of the world. Pidge and Lance, he didn't have to look at to know they believed similarly. Shiro, Hunk, and the others would agree as well. Keeping that in mind, he responded, "We will...right after we get our friends back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next up: the daring rescue! ^_^
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	64. This Is Why We (Will) Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They planned, they went, and they were...quiznaked...

If Kolivan thought they were foolish to prioritize rescuing their friends above finding Voltron, he neither said nor emoted it; instead, the Galra snubbed out his cigarette and announced, "Then let us go inside and discuss our plan of attack with the others." Pleasantly surprised at the easy acceptance - and, for Keith, seeming postponement of the other man's turn at asking questions - the trio followed his lead back in through the sliding door. Shay and Coran were no longer in the kitchen, so Pidge sped off to search should the redhead have wandered to anywhere other than upstairs. Keith, Lance, and Kolivan had just reached the staircase when the speedster appeared and assured them everyone was waiting in the 'creepy medical play' room, zooming off immediately after to join the others. Instead of being offended, the Galra laughed wholeheartedly, startling Keith so much that he lost his balance and would've fallen backward had Lance not caught him, the brunette winking and placing a quick kiss on his bemused, open mouth before righting him again. Blushing, he hurried to catch up to Kolivan, who'd already ascended halfway up the stairs.

Upon entering the room, Keith and Lance were relieved to see Hunk not only awake but looking considerably less pained than earlier. Without prompting, Kolivan murmured, "drugs," in explanation. Snorting, the mulleted man watched as his partner ran to sit beside their (now that he took a closer look) dopey friend. Shay was perched on her boyfriend's other side, offering the big man a cup of ice to parch his thirst. Alert, rested, and looking even more badass thanks to the Galra tech arm, Shiro was standing on the other side of the room surrounded by the clones, who flocked about him like seagulls would a box of french fries. Coran and Pidge had been arguing about a bowling rematch but silenced at the trio's arrival.

Sounding bored as ever, Kolivan slouched down in an empty chair and said, "We should launch our assault on the prince's estate tonight - the longer he keeps your friends hostage, the more chance he has to torture and otherwise pervert them. We will also need your team in full force to successfully retrieve Voltron, assuming it hasn't already been discovered by the Galra." He paused to lick his lips, as if mulling over his next words. "Not all of you will participate in tonight's activities; I will only take those with abilities suited for war: Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Shiro." When both Shiro and Coran moved to interrupt, the man explained, "The gladiators are augmented by Haggar, meaning they possess powers that complement their physical skills. I need warriors who can fight them on both fronts; the others will only be a liability, though I lament the exclusion of Hunk as his bear would've been quite helpful."

Coran looked offended, but Shay and the clones appeared to be relieved. With an injured boyfriend and no ability, Shay's desire to stay behind with Hunk was understandable. As for the clones, Keith couldn't help but wonder if they preferred to sit out given what happened the last time he used his power - he'd (unintentionally) killed their counterparts, so perhaps they didn't want to risk being around should he explode. Although... Shiro jumped in to ask the question he'd been about to: "But won't they try to shoot us with the inhibitor, to give themselves an advantage?"

"Lotor is arrogant but no fool; the Galra are too close to finding Voltron, he won't risk dampening the energy you feed to their tracking system. Neither will the gladiators or any other Galra, in fact, so you are quite safe from that substance. Quintessence, on the other hand, you may encounter but not tonight. The prince will not wish to give you any advantage."

Pidge chimed in, "I beg to differ. If Keith goes 'BOOM,' that's not an advantage - we're dead. Well, the rest of you are because I'd definitely make it out in time. Oh, and I'd absolutely rescue my brother first, too."

The mulleted man groaned at the reminder. Kolivan, though, seemed unbothered by the comment as he casually replied, "I stand by my choices." Glancing at the sill huffy Coran, he insisted, "They are not negotiable." Aware of the finality in the man's eyes, the redhead's shoulders sagged and he nodded in acceptance.

Shiro did point out, "I can't read Galra minds, unless they have the skill to allow me access as that bartender did at Haggar's. So my power is technically useless."

Despite his upset at the speedster's quip, Keith countered, "You can thrust thoughts into other's minds, even mine when I'm on quintessence. And you will be able to non-verbally communicate with Allura and Matt, which could prove necessary depending on how and where specifically they're being held."

"Also," Kolivan gestured to his arm, "I gave you that for a reason, Shiro. You've already proven to be a skilled fighter; the Galra tech will aid you well against whichever gladiator opposes you."

"So when are we going?" Lance flinched as everyone immediately turned to face him, shades of alarmed, confused, and - in the case of Kolivan - amused at his question. Sheepishly, he grinned and shrugged. "No sense in talking it to death, we got friends to rescue! The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can save the day, er, night." Lowering his voice, he leaned in towards Keith and added, "The sooner we can celebrate back at my place by getting naked, among other things."

Face-palming, Keith blushed as Pidge wailed, "WE HEARD THAT, EWWWW!"

 

* * *

 

Lotor's estate made Kolivan's house look commonplace. Staring at the beautiful mansion, Keith wondered if all Galra were unfairly wealthy. His own parents hadn't been but, he wondered, was that intentional? Living a simple life, avoiding drawing attention to oneself, would make sense for a 'defector' on the run. Now _that_ was something he didn't need to agonize over especially before heading into a fight, Keith thought wryly as he shook his head.

They'd taken Kolivan's car and Shiro's motorcycle, to accommodate the later additions of Matt and Allura. Whether it was more benefit or detriment, they discovered a neighbor three houses down was having a house party. While their vehicles did look less conspicuous parked among the others lining the street, there was a greater potential for witnesses and collateral damage should things go awry. Still, they all agreed this mission was worth the risk(s).

Pidge, who'd sped ahead, had yet to make an appearance. Kolivan, to the mulleted man's right, was busy slipping yet another knife into the compartments of his armor. Clenching his own blade of Marmora tighter in his hand, Keith tried to mentally prepare himself for the upcoming attack - patience yields focus, thanks Shiro - and ignore Lance to his left, who kept muttering jibes about the Galra, such as "you need a knife to match your every mood? jeez dude." Shiro paid none of them any attention, his eyes narrowed and fixed on the property.

Once their masked companion had on enough weapons to wipe out an army singlehandedly, the man tapped the side of his head then pointed to Shiro. Startling, the mindreader's voice ran in Keith's, and no doubt Lance's, heads. _'He wants us to split up, he and I will enter through the front and you two from the backside.'_ Shiro shot the brunette an admonishing look, for which Keith could only imagine the dirty joke his partner thought up in response.

The four men walked towards the property, all but Kolivan glancing about to keep an eye out for suspicious neighbors or any possible attackers. They made it to the edge of the driveway unscathed and unnoticed, at which Shiro leveled the couple with a final parental-like glare to ' _do as he said_ ' before trotting off to join the other man already slithering towards the front windows.

Unable to communicate mentally, Keith turned to his partner and murmured, "Ready?" Rolling his eyes at Lance's answering fingergun and wink, he grabbed ahold of the other man's hand and tugged him forward. Had the distance been greater, they might've flown around; as it were, they were reluctant to potentially cause a scene and anger their masked ally.

When he'd almost reached the back, Keith spotted a familiar blur buzzing past the windows from inside the house. Way to go Pidge, Keith thought with a grin...

Which melted from his lips when one of the windows suddenly shattered, jolting the couple apart as they hurried to avoid the glass shards. Both men hardly had time to react before the blur and its accompanying gust of wind knocked them to the pavement. Keith gasped when the speedster paused for a second, just long enough for him to realize it _wasn't_ Pidge, before their petite, non-human fist struck him in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally much longer but I had to chop it up, I didn't have enough time to get the whole thing edited to post tonight. So the rest will be posted tomorrow! ^_^ 
> 
> Next up: Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Shiro face off against the gladiators while Kolivan aims to settle the score with Lotor. Also, Matt and Allura are saved...but at what cost(s)? 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	65. Keith Kogane, Get Lit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Fight Night

Sometimes the tiniest fist can pack the biggest punch, an unpleasant fact Keith was all-too familiar with as he regained consciousness what felt like hours later. Dread sat heavy in his stomach as he blinked his eyes open, not lessening even when he realized Pidge, Lance, and Shiro were nearby, as they were all in the same predicament: seemingly stuck against a wall, held in place by an invisible force that wouldn't give even to Pidge's vibrations at his left. Keith supposed it was a blessing the painful-should-you-struggle-against-it - he tried - force didn't extend to his neck and head, allowing him to twist and better take stock of their situation. Shiro, to his right, had his eyes closed but the man didn't appear to be sleeping - meditating, perhaps? He wasn't projecting his thoughts into Keith's mind, so the other could only assume. Lance, situated next to Pidge, was furiously humming, appearing to have his mouth sealed by the same invisible force holding their bodies, which led his partner to wonder what the brunette had done to earn that particular treatment... Unless, Keith thought, what if they all couldn't move their lips? He tested his out and murmured Lance's name, startling the brunette and causing the man to turn sharply to face him; the brunette's annoyance was palpable as he glared and hummed at his partner, no doubt attempting to convey his displeasure at being the only one given that special treatment.

The blade of Marmora, Keith was surprised to see, was still clenched in his uselessly pinned left hand; all of them, in fact, still had whatever guns Kolivan had provided them. Speaking of, the masked Galra must've either eluded capture or was taken elsewhere within the estate, as he was nowhere to be seen. The large, windowless, and all-white room they were being held in was located, Keith estimated, in the basement as the sound of steady, confident footsteps - probably the homeowner's - could be heard above. (Hmm, Lotor didn't spring for soundproofing? Cheapskate, he thought bitterly.)

However, he and his friends were not lacking for company in the unnervingly sterile room; the gladiators, four in total, were also present.

Which one, if any, Keith wondered, had the ability to hold them back like this? The largest was leaning against the opposite wall and scowling darkly at them, clad in a leather harness, pants, and matching combat boots. Clearly of Galra and non-human mixed descent, his eyes were a striking shade of pink and scaled skin reddish-purple. His focus seemed intent enough to possibly be the force wielder but there was no means to be certain, least not yet.

Who could only be the speedster that had attacked him and Lance earlier was twiddling their fingers/claws so rapidly that the motion was dizzying to watch. Glancing up, Keith tried to swallow down the nausea bubbling in his throat and focused on their face, which was neither moving nor expressing any emotion whatsoever. Yellow eyed and shockingly white skinned, this runt hybrid had delicate facial features save for their prominent, bat-like nose. Like Pidge, its physical build was dainty but androgynous, the grey tracksuit it wore showing no hint of feminine curves or bulge at the crotch.

Next to it stood another gladiator, this one emaciated and long-limbed, knuckles hovering an inch above the ground and still tall despite his hunched back / poor posture. His face reminded Keith of a sugar skull mask one might wear at Halloween, ashen flesh stretched paper-thin over the pointy skull and eyes kaleidoscopic. Dressed in only black spandex pants and leather boots, the hybrid's horrifically thin upper body was on full display. Keith ended up glancing away quickly, unsettled by the sight of his protruding ribcage.

The last of the four began to pace the room, eyeing their captives warily. This female hybrid wore a dark scarlet jumpsuit that accentuated her graceful, busty physique and matching half-mask covering the lower portion of her face. Her black dreadlock-like hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, presenting an unobstructed view of her golden brown eyes narrowed with concern. Had her peachy skin not been mottled with purple and black, she might've passed for a human unless, Keith mused, her concealed nose and mouth were also unmistakably alien. Curious as to what her ability was, he wasn't left to wonder long as she suddenly halted and cocked her head to the side, almost as if listening to or for something; a moment later, she waved a hand towards the center of the room and murmured in an indecipherable language, the words and motion opening what appeared to be a viscous, luminous portal. All four gladiators, even the large leather-clad one, were quick to kneel as their prince stepped through the portal and into the basement.

Even if his appearance hadn't inspired such submission, Lotor would've been easy to recognize as he moved with unwavering regality. Aside from the trademark Galra golden eyes and extremely pale skin, the prince was blessed with the most beautiful face Keith, and probably anyone else, had ever and would ever see. The cruel glitter to his eyes and arrogant quirk of his perfectly shaped lips were the only things to mar his visage, but only just, as even with those the man was stunning. His attire, similar type body armor to that of Kolivan, was black and marked with a red insignia. Arms crossed behind his back, Lotor tutted at the gladiators then gazed at the prisoners. Behind the prince, Keith noticed the female hybrid hurry to close down the portal with another wave of her hand and mutter words; his attention snapped back to the gorgeous Galra as the man's falsely honeyed voice washed over him.

"You paladins have proven quite bold, particularly these past few days. Kidnapping two of my underlings, raiding three weapons caches, decimating our local base, and now attempting to what? Steal my spoils? As if I would allow that to happen." Lotor approached the group, expression morphing into genuine curiosity as he looked each one of them over again, slower this time. "I originally thought to pit you against my gladiators but, seeing how," he paused pointedly at Keith, "pretty some of you are, I may be swayed to spare you." The silver-haired man stepped back and mockingly sighed, "Tempt me."

Stunned, Keith spared a glance at his companions. Pidge looked tempted to punch the smug prince, their body vibrating even harder in an attempt to break free; unfortunately, they only succeeded in making their tormentor snicker at their expense. Lance looked murderous, eyes bulging and humming incoherently, drawing a melodious laugh from the beautiful Galra. "Oh Myzax," the prince crooned at the leather-clad gladiator, confirming Keith's earlier suspicion with his next words, "your work is always a delight to witness." Shiro - Keith wasn't sure why he was surprised, but he was - looked calm as ever, eyes fixed straight ahead on Lotor. Sensing Keith's gaze, though, the prosthetic-armed man's voice chimed in his head: ' _Don't try to bargain with him, it's not worth it._ '

Lotor snapped his fingers with childish impatience to get everyone (namely Keith) to look at him again. Once satisfied, he growled, "You don't wish to play? Too bad. I demand entertainment-" The Galra's tirade was cut off by a loud boom from upstairs. _Kolivan_ , the mulleted man thought/hoped. Coming to the same conclusion, the prince let out a battle cry. To the gladiators, he ordered, "You may not kill them, but otherwise beat and bloody them as you like whilst I," he hissed through clenched teeth as another boom sounded, "exterminate the usurper." Without having to be asked, the female hybrid opened a new portal for the man to traverse, shutting it immediately after he'd departed.

The paladins hardly had time to brace themselves as the invisible force immediately released, granting them freedom to move and - Keith wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing - Lance the ability to speak. "Hibrido sucio! Te matare!" were the first of many insults and threats spewed from the brunette's mouth as he shakily got to his feet. Shiro and Keith were already poised for combat, arm and blade respectively raised to strike. Meanwhile, Pidge was... Naturally the quickest to recover, the speedster was already zooming around the room, entangled with their hybrid counterpart in a blinding blur. That left the rest for them, Keith thought: the giant force field wielder, the portal opener, and the gangly skeleton whose power had yet to be revealed.

Shiro's voice directed in his head: ' _On the count of three, sheath the blade and channel your power._ ' Keith flinched, shooting the other man a confused look. ' _Trust me_.' Hesitantly, he nodded and took a shaky breath as he heard the mindreader's mental countdown.

 _1, 2, 3_...

 

* * *

 

As far as distraction tactics go, the threat of Keith's supernova was enough to send all of the gladiators, even the speedy one, into panic as they scrambled to deter/contain him. The hybrid speedster zipped to knock out the glowing man, springing back with a cry of pain and cradling their burnt hand to their small chest. Pidge jumped at the opportunity presented to deliver a flurry of their own blows, effectively incapacitating that opponent. Myzax pushed back with his invisible force, thwarting any attempts Shiro, Lance, and Pidge made to attack him; this, however, left the large gladiator unable to fully focus his power on Keith, the mulleted man burning right through any efforts to smother him.

Unfortunately, Keith had to fend for himself against the female portal opener and the skeletal gladiator, both of which proved to be the most challenging of the combatants. As she opened a viscous portal leading to who knows where, the other crouched to charge as his flesh hardened into a metallic-like substance, jagged bones gleaming wickedly under the bright light. Intending to melt the metalled gladiator, Keith wailed in alarm at the harsh impact, his assailant showing no signs of softening or discomfort as it shoved him backwards. Catching Lance's eye, his heart caught in his throat at the helpless fear coloring the brunette's handsome face. Opening his mouth - to call out his lover's name? cry for help one last time? he wasn't certain - Keith yelped when a tan hand reached through the portal and yanked him in.

Falling backward onto the cold, marble floor, his glow dimmed when faced with none other than Allura, the silver-blonde not bothering to acknowledge him as she rush through the portal just before it dissipated. Blinking, Keith realized he had been transported to the mansion's foyer, the front door not two feet behind him. The booming noises he'd heard earlier were louder, no doubt closer, accompanied by the sounds of scuffling and opposing outraged yells from who could only be Lotor and Kolivan, as the language was unrecognizable. Temper flaring, Keith got up, intent on locating the Galra prince and lighting him the quiznak up, pausing first to melt the obnoxious metal statue of the beautiful bastard ~~poisoning~~ decorating the space. Once statue Lotor was nothing more than a pile of liquid gold, he tried to discern what direction to head in. The decision was made for him when Matt freaking Holt came running from the right, glasses askew, nose bloodied, and clothing torn.

"H-hey!" Matt gasped, eyes wide with relief at seeing a friendly face (although Keith was positive his face looked anything but friendly at the moment, rage and power flaring as he considered the possibility that the skinny man might've endured such abuse prior to their raid). "Where's Allura? Where're the others? We have got to get out of here! Lotor's busy fighting some creepy masked dude, now's our chance!"

Torn between wanting to rush to ~~Lotor's execution~~ Kolivan's aid and calming his out-of-breath friend, Keith kept his impatience in check and answered succinctly, "She went through the portal, the one that sent me up here. They're downstairs fighting the gladiators, in some white room."

Matt whistled. "You are lucky Kissi didn't send you to the middle of nowhere or, worse, to Zarkon, wherever the heck he is. Must've been too concerned with getting you out of there to put much thought into where she'd send you."

 _Huh, so that was the female gladiator's name_. Shaking his head - now's not the time to dally - Keith said, "Find the others and help them. You all need to get out and away from this place. Quickly." Ignoring the skinny man's protests, he pushed past and headed down the hall, willing his light to burn brighter, the smell of burnt hair comforting this time around as he prepared to (eventually) explode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the conclusion and aftermatch of the battle against Lotor and his gladiators 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	66. You Blew It (But Not Him)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle's over...but can this really be counted as a win? Some might argue yes, given the circumstances Keith finds himself in after.

With hindsight, Keith should've been prepared for the two things that happened next. Kolivan was, understandably, annoyed at not only his attempted interference in the fight with Lotor but also the foreboding threat of his supernova. "Power down and get out of here, you fool!" the Galra hissed while parrying a blow, his face no longer obstructed by a mask and thus revealing every nuance of ire.

Meanwhile, Lotor's reaction was to (with whatever mental ability he must've possessed) reach out to his troops below, as not moments later a viscous portal opened and out sprang not one but two gladiators to handle the intruder: the metalled skeletal hybrid and the once-again-conscious, runty speedster. Fortunately, one of Keith's own allies, Pidge, managed to speed through the portal before it dissipated, entangling with their gladiator counterpart and thus sparing him that opposition. The other, however... Not intimidated in the slightest by the glowing man, the metal creature charged and managed to gore Keith, who screamed in agony as he was literally stuck to its sharp ribs and couldn't gain freedom even when willing his power to intensify, as the gladiator's shell was unmeltable and/or impenetrable. If anything, that only caused the man himself more pain, what little control he had over his impending supernova slipping as his enemy rushed them both outside.

His last thought, before the light began to burst through what remained of his physical body, was that this gladiator did everyone a favor by getting him well clear of that house before he blew...

 

* * *

 

Reforming and regaining cognition felt different this time. Even before his body technically took shape and his mind came back online, somehow Keith was aware of how much longer the process was this time around. Maybe because of injury? The first sensation to return, touch, assured him he was alive, body seemingly healed, and naked, resting in a bed - also, he was being spooned by someone equally naked and, _yup that's a penis_ , male. He tensed for a moment, only to relax as his hearing and smell were restored, the familiar scent of Lance's shampoo and the sound of the brunette cooing in Spanish washed over him. Groaning at the lingering taste of blood and ash on his tongue, he swallowed thickly and attempted to speak, only for his partner to shush him. Blinking his eyes open, Keith confirmed his suspicion that they were in the other man's bedroom.

His voice was rough as he murmured, "I need to use the bathroom." Brushing off the brunette's offer to help, Keith managed to slide out of the bed without stumbling, though his knees were a bit shaky as he left the room. Too eager to rinse the foul taste from his mouth, he didn't feel self-conscious in the slightest at walking around nude. Once in the bathroom, he gurgled a generous amount of mouthwash, studying his reflection as he swished the minty liquid in his mouth. Hair mussed but otherwise shiny, skin no paler than usual and smooth as ever, he looked completely normal. Thankful that the regenerative side effect of his ability extended to the wounds inflicted by the metal gladiator, Keith finished freshening up then made his way back to the bedroom.

Lance, of course, had to make things awkward, whistling lowly and giving him a once-over from head to toe, gaze lingering at his face and groin; flustered, the mulleted man plopped down on the bed and yanked the covers up to his chin, scowling at his now smirking partner.

"So what happened?" Keith asked gruffly. He didn't really feel ready to hear the outcome of the battle, but he assumed it couldn't have been that bad. Would Lance really be cuddling up to him naked in bed if they'd lost or someone died? Mulling over that, he startled when the brunette began to speak.

"Where do I begin? Hmm." (Uh-oh, Keith thought, he sounds pissed.) "After the dominatrix looking chick and skele-beast sent you through that portal - which, by the way, scared 10 years off my life, I swear - Allura popped out and tried smoking those goons out. Which proved to be a monumentally stupid idea, almost on par with you pulling that light show in the first place, because the big dude Midol trapped her with a force field like he tried to do you; she would've asphyxiated on her own smoke had Shiro not managed to slice through it with his new arm. As it were, we all would've choked on it had Pidge not been able to speed around and disperse it, Allura was too weakened to reign the smoke back in. When that chick opened another portal to send her buddies, I'd hoped it'd be after you so I tried to get to it but Meatsack stopped me. Pidge was able to sneak in, though. With Allura down, it was two against the big dude, three when Matt showed up. I dunno if we could've beaten him, because then there was an earthquake which, I later found out from Kolivan, was from you freaking exploding. Moosetracks took off, we followed him upstairs but lost him, probably portal chick hooked him up with an escape like she did the rest of them. Man, Kolivan was livid that his bro got away! He blew the damn house up anyways once we were all safely out."

Flushing with shame at inadvertently allowing the Galra the opportunity to retreat and angering their ally, Keith pulled the cover up over his head and grunted, words muffled as he asked, "Does he hate me?"

He flinched when the cover was ripped back, Lance's blue eyes glittering as he growled, "I'd be more concerned with how I feel, if I were you, mullet." At his partner's gasp, the brunette flailed his arms and ranted, "Shiro told me he egged you on to light up, but did you really have to go full blown supernova? You couldn't just do the glowworm and awe everybody with how cute you look, no, you had to go KABOOM. Do you not get how traumatic it is having to find my boyfriend a mass of twinkling lights and wait for hours, EIGHT this time, for you to be whole enough to haul off? Next time, I'm just gonna get a mason jar and catch you like fireflies, see how you like reforming in that. You were lucky skele-beast left you outside some abandoned warehouse and didn't dump you in a busy place or, worse, take you with him to wherever he ran off to. At least one Galra has some quiznaking sense!!!" Pausing to take a deep, calming breath, Lance leaned over his partner and glared. "Your blade buddy is miffed but he'll get over it, as will everyone else." Sighing wearily, his expression softened a fraction as he added, "Me included. Just try not to explode for a few days, okay? I'm too young to be widowed and have a heart attack."

It took several moments for the other man's words to sink in but, when they did, Keith rolled his eyes and pushed him back affectionately. "We're not married."

"At the rate you're going, we _never_ will be." All fight seemed deflated from Lance as he said, "Seriously, babe, the amount of trauma we've been through in such a short timespan cannot be good for our health. We gotta chill, preferably naked in my apartment, for like the next 24 hours or something. Maybe engage in some stress relieving activity, like-"

"If you say sex, I'll smother you with your own pillow." Keith snickered at his partner's huff of indignation then sobered. "We can't afford to stop now, we have to find Voltron."

Though pouting, Lance acquiesced. "I know. Can't I just have the fantasy for a few more minutes?" Unbothered by his partner's scowl, he jumped out of bed and pulled on the blue robe hanging within his closet, perking up at the other man's sudden blush. The brunette's voice sounded cheery as he offered, "I'll text Pidge and make us some pancakes. We can head over to Kolivan's after, everybody else crashed there."

Bemused by the sudden shift in mood, his partner murmured, "Oh, um, I'll just..."

"Stay in bed." Lance winked. "At least let me have that, won't you?" Unable to deny him, Keith nodded and watched the whistling brunette bustle from the room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance were supposed to go to Kolivan's with everyone else but Lance was all like 'IF YOU DO NOT GIVE ME SOME ALONE TIME WITH MY MAN I WILL REFUSE TO LET YOU FINISH THIS!' So yeah.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3


	67. Make It Count

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance head over to Kolivan's

Keith didn't really start to panic about heading to Kolivan's and facing the Galra, as well as their other friends, until he had finished his last bite of the delicious, pineapple upside-down pancakes Lance had lovingly prepared and served him in bed. Whereas moments prior he'd wolfed down breakfast enthusiastically, now he felt like chucking up said food with just as much enthusiasm if not more. Not wanting to disappoint the brunette watching him - and make a mess of the comfortable bedding - gave him the courage to keep his mouth shut and rebellious stomach in check. Tilting his head to accept the sweet press of Lance's lips against his cheek, he managed a half-smile as the other man collected the empty plate and headed out to the kitchen.

Tossing back the covers, Keith figured it best to get dressed already. Lance stored underwear, he recalled, in the small dresser; with that in mind, he opened the top drawer and pulled out the front-most pair, black boxer briefs that, when he pulled them on, snugly hugged the curve of his buttocks. Snickering, because no doubt Lance bought them a shade too tight on purpose to display his own assets, Keith turned to the closet and slid open the doors. Here, however, he struggled to find something suitable to wear; despite being relatively the same size in clothing, the two men had vastly different tastes in fashion. Aside from that one time he had mistakenly wandered into an American Eagle ( _don't ask_ ), Keith had never seen so many 'preppy' shirts and pants clumped together. Maybe, he mused, he'd already borrowed the only normal clothing the other man owned and this ~~crap~~ bunch was all that was left. Selecting the least offensive items, a pale grayish-purple v-neck tshirt and a pair of white jeans with rips in the knees too stylish/perfect to be from regular wear, Keith donned them and tried not to imagine how much better the outfit would look on someone slightly taller and tan-skinned.

As if on cue, Lance came strolling back in the room as he was zipping up the jeans. Blushing at the brunette's appreciative whistle and wink, Keith cleared his throat and said, "I hope you don't mind..." His cheeks grew hotter as the other man laughed.

"Mi casa es su casa, babe. I think you look hot as quiznak in my clothes." Smiling brightly at his partner's flustered scowl, Lance undid the tie to his robe and let it fall to the floor. Delighting in Keith's obvious embarrassment and attempts not to stare, or at least not be caught staring, the brunette hummed happily as he walked past him and picked out his own outfit. Wagging his eyebrows suggestively as he dressed in pink striped boxers, navy blue cargo pants, and a neon blue polo shirt, Lance then fished out two pairs of flip flops from the back of the closet. Handing one to Keith, he slipped the other on his feet.

The mulleted man blinked down at the sandals, if one could even call them that, in his hands and glared at his partner. "What?" Lance had the audacity to ask.

"I'm not wearing these."

"Pfft, why not? I promise they won't slide off even while we're in the air, I wear 'em all the time with no problem." Lance's eyes lit up. "Oh, wait, is this because of your feet? You feeling self-conscious? Babe, they are super cute, albeit freakishly pale; they could definitely stand to get a little exposure to the sun."

Rolling his eyes, Keith growled, "These are _bright yellow_."

"Yeah, and...?"

Sighing, because of course Lance would probably wear these ridiculous things with this exact outfit, Keith decided to drop it and put on the offensive footwear. Ignoring the other man's chuckle, he motioned for the brunette to lead as they made their way out of the apartment. It wasn't until they entered the elevator and the doors shut that he thought to ask, "So we are flying there?"

"Heck yeah, it's the best way to travel. I realize I never got to give you a ride in my car, maybe we can do that sometime soon." Leaning in close, Lance kissed his partner's cheek and whispered hotly, "I'd like to give you another kind of ride sometime soon, too."

Shivering, the mulleted man mumbled something unintelligible and startled when his partner grabbed ahold of his hand as they neared the ground floor. Once the door pinged open, Keith allowed Lance to tug him along to the outside, resisting only when the other man tried to pull him into his embrace amidst the busy foot traffic congesting the sidewalk. At his partner's confused expression, he hissed, "Not here! The parking lot, maybe?"

Though amused at his partner's paranoia, Lance humored the mulleted man and waited until they reached the relatively secluded safety of the parking lot out back before drawing Keith close and, after giving a reassuring squeeze to his trim waist, ascended.

 

* * *

 

The trip to Kolivan's home was short, both men silent and distracted as they drew closer, Keith worrying anew about facing the Galra in light of the past night's events and Lance willing the half-chub in his boxers to wilt before they landed. By the time they touched down in the backyard, the brunette managed to keep his libido at bay but decided not to press his luck, pulling away quickly from his partner. Keith was too distracted to notice the jerky movement, reaching out as if on auto-pilot for the other man's hand again as they approached the kitchen's backdoor, through which they could see the others seated at the table and finishing their own breakfast: Hunk nestled between Coran and Shay on one side, Shiro with Matt and Allura on the other, Pidge next to their sibling and opposite Kolivan at the head.

Whatever chatter was going on stopped as soon as Keith and Lance entered the room, everyone (save for Kolivan) greeting the new arrivals brightly. Though pleased with the warm reception from their friends, Keith had assumed/anticipated they wouldn't be too harsh, if at all, towards him - they'd experienced his supernova before. It was the homeowner, truly, that was the wildcard, the man seeming to draw out acknowledging his, and by extension of being with him, Lance's presence. Keith wasn't positive if the Galra had been winning his fight with Lotor, but he knew for a fact his actions deprived his ally of any chance at revenge/justice. Lance had said Kolivan blew up the prince's estate in his anger, but was that enough to assuage his bitterness? Probably not, he thought glumly.

When Kolivan did look up from his cappuccino - because of course rich people can't drink normal coffee, Keith scoffed inwardly - he appeared neither surprised nor displeased to see them. Eyes lingering on the mulleted man, he casually addressed the group, "I think we can all stand for 15 more minutes of relaxation before discussing our next endeavor. Lance, please help yourself to coffee, tea, or anything else you desire. Keith, I'd enjoy some company while I have a smoke."

Keith, who stiffened at the mention of his name, gulped but nodded, though he doubted the other man would've accepted a refusal to his not-question. Ignoring Lance's huff of protest, the pitying look Hunk shot him, and the identical fiendish smirks on Pidge and Matt's faces, he allowed the Galra to lead the way as they stepped back outside onto the porch. Everything sounded louder and menacing in those first few second, from the slide of the door separating the duo from the others to the crinkling of Kolivan digging out his pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his skinny jeans to the flick of the man's beloved platinum lighter.

Debating about breaking the awkward silence as the smoker took a long drag of his cigarette, Keith jumped when Kolivan murmured, "I should like my turn now." Lips quirking at the mulleted man's curiously cocked head and furrowed brow, he mocked, "As our time is limited, do not play coy. Whatever I inquire about, extend me the courtesy of answering succinctly as I did for you and your friends yesterday." Keith blanched when the Galra proceeded to ask, "From which parent did you inherit that surname Kogane?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter's longer and features some interesting revelations along with the gang gearing up to get (and eventually form) Voltron! Also, the much awaited Shatt. ^_^
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading <3 <3 <3


	68. Theories and Reasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith answers Kolivan's questions and is left with some heady information to process and questions of his own. Meanwhile, the group discusses a possible lead and how to proceed.

_Oh_. This, Keith supposed, was better than being yelled at or punched - or so he hoped. Deciding to humor Kolivan, both to prevent further irritating the other man and perhaps gain insight into his own heritage, he licked his lips and replied, "My mom. She was the Galra, wasn't she?"

Kolivan took a drag of his cigarette. "My turn, remember?" he teased the shorter man, grunting his approval when Keith's cheeks reddened and eyes shown contrite. Tone switching back to its usual blandness, he said, "Hikaru _Kogane_ Kang had several children with Zarkon, many of whom died for the cause or, as I suspect in the case of your mother, were killed by the cause." As if sensing the dozens of questions that sprang to Keith's mind at that new information, Kolivan shot him a pointed look of censure then carried on with his inquiry. "What drew you to Nevada? Why did you settle there?"

Though miffed at having to refrain from pursuing his family connection, Keith was curious to learn/discern more from the Galra; he did, however, dread sharing this particular information. Still, he reminded himself, it was only fair. With that in mind, he grudgingly admitted, "When I was...expelled from college, I didn't know what to do with myself. I mean, I'd started freelance writing and getting paid to do it, but I wasn't sure where to go next - I just knew I couldn't stay in Providence anymore. I ended up traveling for almost a year, bouncing from city to city for stories and whatnot; that was fun for a while. My parents, well my dad, had left me some land in Sloan; it had been in his family a long time, I guess. I decided to finally check it out and, well, I can't explain it. I wanted to stay."

"Perhaps Voltron wanted you to stay. You did prove worthy to become a paladin, after all," Kolivan murmured as he engaged in his vice. Ignoring the other man's gasp, he snubbed the cigarette out and said, "We shall have to inform the others and devise a plan, coordinate travel. But that," the Galra smirked, "can wait a few more minutes." Lighting up a new cigarette, Kolivan asked, "Speaking of the paladins, which did you select in the game?" 

It took Keith several moments - and Kolivan snapping the fingers of his free hand, an action reminiscent of Lotor the night before - to follow the new change in topic. Inwardly scoffing at the sibling similarity, and wisely keeping that thought to himself because he knew the other man would throttle him for it, he answered, "Uh, the red one." 

"I assume you played more than once. Each time the same?" 

Keith shrugged. "I liked how he fought. I didn't feel the need to try the others." 

"I see," Kolivan replied cryptically. He gave the other man a once-over. "Lance and Shiro assured me you would be fully healed, but I had concerns about the wounds Skulk inflicted; I am pleased to see you restored. What other wonders does your ability entail?"

"Aside from lighting up, supernovaing and then reforming, I, um, don't know. I think that's it."

The Galra's eyebrows raised, though his voice remained bland as he asked, "You've not experimented?"

"Technically I have, sort of. With quintessence. I was taking small doses over the course of a few days, to see if I could maintain control under its influence."

Sighing, the other man took another drag and clarified, "I meant, you've not experimented in terms of what more you are capable of?"

"Isn't that enough?" Scowling, the mulleted man confessed, "If I'm capable of anything else, it can only be chaos. These past two days have proven I'm able to harm more than myself with my supernova; I will not risk this planet and the people I care about by pushing beyond that, even if it hinders me in the long run against Zarkon."

Humming thoughtfully, Kolivan quipped, "Then may you not regret it." The Galra flicked ash off his cigarette, glancing behind and snorting. Keith turned his head to see what the other man found amusing, blushing when he spotted Lance and Pidge - the duo were standing by the nearest window watching them, the former glaring over his coffee cup and the latter crossing their eyes whilst sticking out their tongue. Chuckling, Keith looked back at Kolivan, the smile dying from his lips at the intense expression on his ally's face. He wasn't left to ponder the cause long as the Galra spoke again. "Your lover will probably fly right through that window if I do not release you soon, lest the clearly impatient speedster beat him to it. Therefore, I shall ask this last thing of you: for a promise. You shall not interfere when next I battle Lotor, no matter the circumstance. If I am killed, only then may you challenge the prince." Keith nodded his acceptance, pushing back the niggling in his head that warmed him this, more than anything, could come back to haunt him later on. Seemingly satisfied, the Galra put out his cigarette and motioned for the other man to lead as they moved to rejoin the awaiting group.

 

* * *

 

"So you're saying Voltron might've compelled Keith to move to the middle of nowhere?" Allura asked immediately after hearing Kolivan's theory as to where the legendary weapon could be located, arms crossed and frowning. The silver-blonde was sporting some bruises from the night prior but otherwise appeared okay despite her imprisonment, at least physically - psychologically, on the other hand, was a mystery to all but the woman herself and possibly Shiro. The mindreader did have an arm slung over his former girlfriend's shoulders, however, his other arm was wrapped snugly around his current love interest Matt so the intent behind the gesture was open to interpretation. "But that was before he played the game, wasn't it? How long ago?"

Lost in his thoughts, Keith startled when he realized a question had been directed at him and that all eyes were focused on him. Shifting in his seat, he replied, "Um, almost two years."

"You've been living in that quiznaking hovel for two years?!" Lance screeched, which caused his partner rolled his eyes in response.

Ignoring the brunette's outburst, Pidge addressed the group. "If what Kolivan's saying is correct, then maybe Voltron's exerted influence on all of us, in one way or another."

Shiro, who'd been absentmindedly toying with the ends of Matt's shaggy hair and the nape of the smaller man's neck, grimaced but continued with his tender ministrations. "I think it's an interesting idea, but if that were true then Voltron should've drawn everyone to that area of Nevada, don't you think? If anything, it'd make more sense for it to be located somewhere here in California, where the majority of us reside."

"It drew us all to the game, didn't it? And maybe it would've pushed us to go to Nevada, eventually." The speedster pointed out, "Haggar designed the 'Voltron' arcade machine to empower players of Voltron's choosing, those worthy to become its next paladins; this also allowed the Galra to track the weapon, in a sense reverse engineering Voltron's signal to locate it. For all we know, Voltron might be so busy misdirecting the Galra that it can only expel so much energy towards us. I doubt it made Keith visit Nevada, but maybe by his being closeby Voltron was able to sway him to stay. If anyone one of us happened on that area, we might've stayed, too. How did being there make you feel, Lance?"

The brunette made a strange facial expression, squinting with one eye and thrusting his lower lip. Was that supposed to be thoughtful, or was he having a fit? Keith rolled his eyes at his partner. "Kinda curious, I guess? I mean, I was mostly thinking about how hot it'd be to makeout with mullet in his 'Wrong Turn' -esque shack but we didn't end up staying long. I did sorta regret leaving so soon; he was acting like a wet cat around me though so that overshadowed it at the time." Keith arched a brow, annoyed at the reminder of his past tiff with Lance and surprised to hear the man didn't totally hate his home (despite his jibes at it).

"Huh." Pidge grinned wickedly. "I bet you'd move there in a heartbeat if Keith asked you to."

"Of course if _he_ asked me to. Voltron'd have nothing to do with it."

"Or so it wants you to think."

"Pfft, so I know, Pidgeon. I'd do anything for my babe, even resort to living in 'The Hills Have Eyes' territory!"

"Wow what a romantic... _not_. No wonder you haven't gotten lai-"

"GUYS!" Hunk and Shiro scolded at the same time, Lance and Pidge immediately murmured apologies. The others, a blushing Keith in particular, appreciated the two stepping in to break up the bickering pair. Sighing, Shiro went on to say, "Speculating about Voltron is great, but there's only one way to know for certain. We have to go search that area for ourselves, whether it be a few of us or the whole team."

"I can go by myself just fine." When Pidge seemed ready to bolt, their sibling reached out to grab their wrist and stop them. At Matt's frown and shake of his head, they grumbled, "Okay, I'll take someone with me. Any volunteers not-Lance?" The speedster snickered at the brunette's huff of indignation.

Keith was loathe to travel with Pidge, the memory of the intense vertigo accompanying it fresh on his mind. Still, he offered, "I know the area, so... Yeah, I'll go."

Kolivan, who was watching the groups' exchange with narrowed eyes, announced, his voice suggesting no argument, "Shiro and Lance will go as well." Both men looked surprised at being volunteered, to which the Galra responded, "Shiro's telepathic abilities may allow him to read Voltron at a closer proximity. As for Lance," the man's lips twitched with dark amusement, "flying with him is faster than taking a car. Pidge is mightier than they appear but I doubt they can carry two grown men."

"I can't even carry two babies, although why would I want to because EWWW poopy diapers and spit up," the speedster mused aloud, to which Shiro removed his arm from around Allura to facepalm.

Coran twirled one end of his mustache, mouth tight with displeasure. "You seem to favor those four for your missions. What about the rest of us? Are we to sit around and wait for them to return?" Matt and Allura looked like they'd enjoy that very much; given their recent captivity, it was certainly understandable. Shay seemed neutral to the idea, while Hunk was just as concerned as the redhead.

"Have you not foreseen our next step?" Kolivan mocked the redhead. Raising his hands in a calming gesture, the man insisted, "My theory is simply that: a _theory_. As Shiro mentioned, Voltron could very well be located within California. We will begin to conduct our own search here. I expect them to contact us regardless of whether they find the weapon in Keith's town, so we may take proper action next." He paused. "Zarkon's troops outnumber us and have approximately a 24 hour head-start, but there is much ground to cover among the four states so we do stand a chance at beating them to the weapon. We cannot afford to delay any longer."

Realizing it was their cue to go, Pidge motioned for Keith, Lance, and Shiro to follow them as they stood and rushed outside. The mindreader hesitated for a moment before turning to Matt and leaning in to kiss the smaller, bemused man on the lips. Keith wasn't uncomfortable with PDA, had certainly engaged in plenty of his own with Lance, but he felt awkward witnessing what might possibly be the first kiss between his two friends. He shot a quick glance at Allura, unsure whether the silver-blonde's lack of an outward reaction was a good or bad thing, then proceeded to drag his comically gaping partner out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


	69. Home Quiznak Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Just Do It

Despite arriving far quicker than he would've flying with Lance, Keith regretted traveling with Pidge the second the speedster abruptly halted right outside his shack. Stomach lurching, he staggered a few steps away from his friend and, as he violently expelled the undisgested remnants of his breakfast, barely missed vomiting on his mostly exposed feet. The sour tang of pineapple clung to the back of his throat and tongue, only further nauseating the mulleted man. What felt like hours - but was actually mere minutes - later, Keith was relieved to feel the dizzying veil of vertigo lifted from his senses, allowing him to regain control over both mind and body. Releasing a shaky sigh, he forced himself to stand upright and glance back at his fidgety friend.

Pidge had a peculiar expression on their face, equal parts disgust, compassion, and amusement. Instead of commenting on his upchuck display, as he'd thought, the petite speedster mused aloud, "I hate admitting when Lance is right but, seriously, this does look like a scene right outta 'The Hills Have Eyes.' Maybe I should go run the perimeter, to make sure there's no Galra or, worse, mutant murder families lurking around."

"Hey-" Whatever scathing response the mulleted man had died on his lips as they zipped off; scoffing as the accompanying gust of wind ruffled his hair, Keith decided to head inside both to wait for Lance and Shiro and escape the blistering sun. Upon opening the front door, the oddly comforting stale scent of neglect wafted from the shack. Not bothering to shut the door behind him, Keith did a quick scan to ensure nothing was out of place - _it wasn't_ \- before plopping down on the decrepit, patchwork futon.

Lamenting the destruction of his phone at Garden of the Gods, and mentally noting he needed to replace it ASAP, he hummed thoughtfully and began to replay his Q&A with Kolivan. Had his tablet been here and not left at Hunk's house, Keith would've googled Hikaru Kogane Kang, his maternal grandmother, in hopes of discovering anything more about his mysterious ancestor. Had she willingly begun a relationship with the Galra leader? He hoped so, considering the implication that she'd bore him multiple children. If Zarkon looked anything like he did in the 'Voltron' arcade game, he was obviously of alien origin and, Keith was loathe to admit, ruggedly good-looking, resembling his son Kolivan moreso than the too-beautiful-for-words Lotor. Had Hikaru known what Zarkon's endgame was? Had she approved? Several of her children allegedly died for the Galra cause; did she send them off, wishing them well on their conquest? Was that why his mother, after running away, never spoke of the woman? Could his grandmother still be alive?

So lost in his thoughts, Keith didn't realize Pidge had returned until they swatted him with a cushion. Crying out in indignation, he shoved the cushion away with one hand and glared at the smirking speedster. "Sorry" - they didn't sound sorry to him as they continued - "I said your name 10 times but you were spaced out, hopefully not fantasizing about your boyfriend because EWWWW. Coast, er, horizon's clear, btw. There's a whole lotta sand and nothingness out there, a few creepy canyons and caves. Think Voltron's underground? I'm wondering if I could spin and drill down-"

"NO!" Keith spat, shooting forward to grab his friend's delicate wrist to prevent them from speeding off again like earlier, giving little thought to the fact that they could easily drag him with them should they chose to act; Pidge, luckily, seemed inclined to stay put, or at least stay within the confines of the shack. Shrugging off his grip, they zipped over to his bookcase and began rummaging through his stack of journals.

Flipping through the one dedicated to Keith's Mothman rsearch, they distractedly prattled, "How much longer do you think loverboy and, actually, the _other_ loverboy will be? It's so weird that everybody's all lovey-dovey, except for me, Allura, Coran, and Kolivan - although I suspect that ginger's itching to get some of that snooty Galra booty, sexual tension is almost as thick, hehe _thick_ , as the one between you and Lance. Are you gonna sleep with him anytime soon, put him and, more importantly, the rest of us out of our misery? Even Matt and Shiro hooked up already, and they've been back together less than 24 hrs. Sheesh, get a room and get laid already."

Blinking at the speedster's bluntness and randomness, the mulleted man fumbled with how to respond, if at all. Their sexual tension comment about Coran and Kolivan was ridiculous...wasn't it? Brows furrowing, he expelled that disturbing image from his head and vehemently refused to acknowledge anything beyond Pidge's initial question. That, Keith was willing to answer: "Maybe a half-hour? I feel like my sense of time is out of whack without a phone."

Snapping the notebook shut, Pidge murmured, "Oh, yeah." Before Keith could process, they dropped the journal to the floor and zoomed away. Unsure whether to feel relieved or worried at his friend's sudden disappearance, he slouched into the stiff, scratchy cushions of the futon and let out the sigh pent up in his chest. Alone once more, his mind had opportunity to wander and it did so, seemingly hellbent on torturing him anew with thoughts about his lineage. Again, he wished he had a phone to be able to call Kolivan and demand more information. If Keith wasn't so confident the Galra would kill him for misusing the blade of Marmora, he would've whipped it out from the makeshift sheath at his hip and summoned the man right then and there. Growling in frustration, he resigned himself to suffer and simmer until either Pidge, Lance and Shiro, or the lot of them showed (in the case of the former, back) up.

 

* * *

 

Lance and Shiro beat the speedster by two minutes, the sound of the duo's landing loud enough to startle Keith from his brooding. The sight of the brunette's smiling face dimmed any of the mulleted man's annoyance at seeing his partner so snugly pressed against someone else (even if that someone was their apparently-already-sexed friend). Rising stiffly, Keith watched as his partner and Shiro separated and ambled over to the shack; by the time he exchanged greetings with the new arrivals, the speedster had also returned in their typical fast fashion, skidding to a halt just short of barreling into their friends. Long ago had he suspected where Pidge went, but he was still surprised when they grinned lopsidedly and thrust a small bag from Best Buy at him. With shaky hands, he pulled out the box for his new phone, same make but upgraded model of his previous one.

As he opened his mouth to thank his generous friend, Keith froze as Lance huffed, "Pfft. Why the quiznak didn't I think of that?! Ugh, you just had to upstage me, Pidgeon." Rolling his eyes - _because really, Lance_? - the mulleted man settled for patting his short friend on their shoulder and smiling to show his appreciation.

Shiro, who'd been glancing around his surroundings with an open expression, turned all-business, drawing everyone's attention as he stepped forward and reminded, "We have a lot of ground to cover and can't afford to linger; even if the Galra aren't here right now, they could be on their way. Come on, let's get out there and find Voltron..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the search begins...
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	70. When One Door Closes, Another Bangs Right Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disappointment begets...getting some?

To say that Keith was disappointed - after an exhaustive, thorough search of his acreage and its surrounding area - to have not found any sign of Voltron would've been a grievous understatement. Kolivan's theory, that the legendary weapon had influenced his stay in the desert, had struck such a chord with the mulleted man; he couldn't help but feel gypped. It was supposed to be here, his mind screamed, it has to be here! As he trudged back to the shack, nightfall forcing him to channel his power and produce a soft glow lest they get lost among the terrain, Keith wondered if their failure had more to do with who was looking more than the where. Did all of the paladins need to be present? Thinking back to the game, Voltron was comprised of five robotic lions and thus needed five pilots; would it have revealed itself had the required number of participants been there? Though there was no way to be certain who was destined for what, he was positive the black paladin was among the current quartet, most likely Shiro as the man was a natural leader. If what Kolivan said was correct, that Voltron needed at least one paladin to man the black lion, why wouldn't it be satisfied if Shiro or, heck, any of them were available? Maybe Zarkon was involved? _Or maybe you need to stop obsessing and pick up the pace_ , Shiro's voice chided within his head. Right, mindreader, Keith thought sheepishly as he quickened his step and lifted a lit hand to illuminate the path better for his friend.

With hindsight, Keith would've preferred to pair off with Lance or Pidge, as neither he nor Shiro had powers geared towards quick transport; however, when the prosthetic-armed man insisted they take to the caves together whilst the other two took double-duty as scouts and lookouts for potential enemy incursions, he agreed to that plan. Now, legs wobbly from overuse and stomach growling in protest to being empty for too long, he inwardly cursed at being stuck walking all the way back to the shack. Lance and Pidge, he had no doubt, were already there, probably eating all his crackers and canned beans. Gritting his teeth, Keith forced himself to push past the discomfort and keep moving forward, mindful of his companion and their lighting needs.

By the time he and Shiro returned to the shack, Keith was ready to collapse with relief (and fatigue); he would've had Pidge not been sprawled out on his futon, rapidly flipping through more of his research journals. Lance, he was pleased to see, was scooping what looked and smelled like crispy pad Thai onto two paper plates; someone, most likely the speedster, wisely used part of their free time to get ~~real food~~  takeout. "We've already eaten," the brunette remarked as he gestured for the new arrivals to grab a serving. Looking back, Keith was not ashamed to admit he shouldered past Shiro to get his first, his hunger overwhelming.

"We need to contact Kolivan," Shiro mumbled after around a mouthful of noodles.

"Already did," Pidge chirped, zipping from the futon to the bookcase then back, a new notebook in their hands. "I also ran around the rest of Nevada while I was at it because wow do you all take _forever_  to do anything. It sucks to admit it, but I think we're better off returning and helping the others...when you two are ready, of course."

Perhaps it was stubbornness, or maybe it was some supernatural pull, but Keith didn't want to give up looking here just yet. Despite not voicing that opinion aloud, however, it was impossible to hide how he was thinking and feeling from the mindreader. Though he kept his eyes cast downward on his food, he could feel Shiro's dark eyes watching him. Keith tried his best to ignore the other man, only perking his head up when Lance's voice rang out, "Since it's late, why don't we crash here and head back in the morning?"

"It'll take me seconds to get home," Pidge pointed out. "Plus I'd rather spend the night in my own bed or, better yet, one of the fancy guest bedrooms at Kolivan's."

Shiro, already done with his meal, replied, "I'd like to get back too-"

"To Matt," the speedster snickered.

Ignoring the interruption, the prosthetic-armed man continued, "So why don't we travel together? If Keith and Lance want to stay or head out, they're free to do so at their leisure - well, so long as they're back by late morning. We can't afford to waste more time."

Before Keith could open his mouth to answer, Lance rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, "Yes, dad. I'll have mullet there at a decent hour, scout's honor."

"I'm gonna overlook the fact that you were never a scout and hold you to that."

Keith had never witnessed Shiro having a mental conversation with anyone else, but he knew instantly that the other man was communicating something silent to Lance as the mindreader's eyes were alight with humor and the brunette's face flushed. Glancing at Pidge, he was surprised to see the speedster smirking at the pair - were they privy to what thoughts were exchanged? He wasn't sure whether to feel more annoyed or sad at the possibility of being left out; one thing he was certain of was that it was rude. Clearing his throat loudly, Keith was pleased to see everyone's attention snap to him.

"We'll be at Kolivan's by 10AM. You two should probably head out now, before it gets too late." If Shiro and Pidge were offended by his bluntness, neither showed it as they proceeded to agree and said their goodbyes. Once the duo took their leave, Keith was acutely aware of Lance's presence across the room. _Right next to his bed_. Scowling, in an attempt to hide his fluster, the mulleted man grunted, "We should go to bed." At the brunette's leer, he corrected, " _To sleep._ "

Rather than be put off by his partner's tone, Lance waggled his eyebrows suggestively and flung himself on the bed, bouncing every so slightly on the mattress. "But baaaaaaabe," he teased, "it's hardly midnight. Plenty of time to -" the brunette's smile widened at the other man's growl, "talk."

 _Oh_. Blinking, Keith's expression softened as he inquired, "Um, talk? As in...talk?"

"No, talk as in hot, sweaty sex. Yeah, talk. Although I'm not opposed to sex at all, if you're up for it." Lance patted the spot beside him. "Come on."

After hesitating for a minute or two, mostly out of confusion, Keith shuffled over to the bed and sat, posture ramrod straight, on the farthest corner from his partner. "So, uh, what..."

Lance's words betrayed his weariness as he drawled, "You think Voltron's here, don't you?" Not waiting for the other man to respond, he admitted, "I do, too." Ignoring his partner's gasp of surprise, the brunette continued, gaze focused on the chipped-paint ceiling above him, "I mean I don't know for certain, but it's just a feeling, ya know?"

Sighing, the mulleted man slouched and grumbled, "Shiro and Pidge don't seem to think so. Maybe it's wishful thinking on both our parts. I dunno anymore."

The brunette scoffed, "Or maybe it's been a long day and we both need to relax." His body and tone shifted as he moved closer, until a mere inch separated him from his partner's side. Keith shivered as the other man's hands ghosted over his shoulders, nudging him to lie down as that honeyed voice crooned, "I propose we shelve Voltron for the rest of tonight, okay babe? We can be all emo and brood over that madness in the morning all you want, I promise."

Struggling to keep the smirk from his face, Keith allowed the other man to leaned over and bracket him within those toned tan arms. Though he felt a little breathless marveling at his partner's bright blue eyes, he had to point out, "This doesn't seem conducive to talking."

"On the contrary," Lance countered, lips brushing against the mulleted man's pink, chapped ones, "this is perfect for talking. _Dirty talking_." Chuckling at his partner's huff of indignation, he flicked his tongue out to tease the seam of the other's open mouth then offered, "We can simply lie here and talk if you want, all night, about anything. Even the V-word if it'll make you happy."

When Lance began to pull back, Keith's hands shot up to clutch his shoulders to halt him. Biting his lower lip, he hesitated for a few seconds then surprised himself by blurting out, "But I don't really want to talk." And truthfully, he didn't; dwelling on the frustration of today's fruitless search was the furthest thing from his mind, given his current position. Relaxation and rest, he mused, sounded perfect... _for_   _after_ , his twitching cock seemed to insist.  

"Oh?" The brunette's smile was blinding as he teased the other man with the press of his chest and groin, eliciting a shaky gasp from Keith. "Then what do you want, babe?"

Warring between wanting to slap that ~~sexy annoying~~  look from Lance's face and ravish the other man's beautiful mouth, the mulleted man settled for responding in kind. Trailing his fingers up his partner's neck to gently tug on the short, messy strands, arching his back to rub against the warm body above him, Keith replied, "You. If that's what you want, too, of course." Cheeks heating up, he shut his eyes in an effort to calm his erratic heartbeat and breathing. The answering rumble from his partner's chest had him moaning and opening his mouth wide, welcoming the other man's plundering kiss that soon followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! I had to cover extra shifts at work so I was left with less time to write and then edit. I ended up cutting this chapter up because I wanted to post something tonight. I'll post the next part as soon as I finish editing it. 
> 
> Next: Smut (*finally*). And more...
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	71. Sex Me Up?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> @.@

Keith was no prude by any means; his reasons for holding back with Lance, up til now, were driven by practicality, not a need to protect his (non-existent) virtue or coverup any insecurities about his sexual prowess. Despite the intensity of their relationship and the surrounding circumstances, they'd hardly known one another long. Within weeks, he'd gone from laughing off the brunette's attempts at contacting him to becoming friends? rivals? teammates? with the curious man and his cohorts to falling in love with him. Not that he'd had many longterm relationships, romantic or any other kind, but the fear that this would end just as tumultuously niggled the back of his mind and often stilled him from taking that final leap.

Now was different.

It wasn't Lance's talented tongue thrusting within his eager mouth, sculpted body grinding into his pliant one below, nor the desperate, dulcet moans each flick of Keith's own tongue or thrust of hips pulled from the other man's mouth. (Though those were positively intoxicatingly.) No, what made the mulleted man finally want to give in, give himself over to his gorgeous lover, was Voltron - specifically, how perilous this investigation was developing. If he died, if they failed... Keith didn't want regrets, and he would truly regret not letting Lance in (figuratively _and_ literally), even if it was just this one night, before everything inevitably went to shit.

"Babe, stay with me." Lance's plea, whispered against his lips, pulled the mulleted man from his thoughts. Keith surged up to deepen their kiss, tightening his hold on the other man's hair and tugging in tandem with each full-body shudder he drew from his partner.

Not to be outdone, the brunette hands trailed from tenderly cradling Keith's jaw down to his chest, the rough pads of his fingers felt even through the other's thin tshirt as he began to trace circles around his nipples. Leaning his head back to gasp, Keith opened his eyes and nearly choked when faced with Lance's beautiful blues lovingly, laser-focused on him. Flushing with arousal, he whined and silently begged his partner for more. He realized he must've voiced the sentiment aloud when Lance murmured, "Okay, okay." Before Keith could react, one of the other man's hands ceased its wicked tease of his covered nipple to descend towards the flat of his stomach; tensing in anticipation, the mulleted man's eyes fluttered shut when he felt those fingers brush over the button and zipper closure of his jeans.

Whatever disappointment he felt as that tantalizing touch proceeded to disappear was short lived as the hand was suddenly thrust under his shirt, the heat of that palm against his stomach leaving him a quivering mess. Keith could feel his mouth open, nonsensical words and cries spilling out at the sensation of Lance pushing the tshirt up to expose the planes of his pale, toned chest to the air and the other man's glittering, appreciative eyes. "Fucking beautiful," the brunette's fervent praise had his partner yanking the top fully off, flinging it aside and allowing his arms to sink up into the pillows, arching his back in blatant invitation.

Shivering at the feel of Lance's breath ghosting over his exposed skin, Keith cried out when the other man licked a path from his nipples to his navel, swirling and pressing the flat of his tongue on the sensitive skin. When his partner's hands skated over the top of his jeans, the mulleted man's voice cracked as he groaned, "Shirt. Off. Please." Delighted by the feverish request, the brunette smiled brightly and made quick work of removing his own shirt, tossing the offensive polo shirt blindly behind him. Keith's eyes widened as he took in his partner's beautiful, bronze, and toned torso. In truth, he felt a little light-headed when faced with such temptation. What to touch first? he wondered. His fingers itched to tease those small, perky nipples, but the planes of his ridged abs, showing the makings of a six-pack, made his mouth water. Surging upward, he grabbed Lance by the back of his head and slotted their lips together once more, allowing every eager mewl to spill amidst the wet, messy kiss.

Once he'd thoroughly ravaged his partner's mouth - at least for now - Keith dove right down and, despite the awkward angle, nipped at the taunt expanse of flesh around the other man's navel. Smirking at the brunette's answering shudder and gasp, he began to alternate between planting feathery kisses to sucking hickeys all over his abdomen. When Lance threaded his fingers through Keith's hair and fisted the lengthy locks at the nape, the other man shivered and ducked lower, his chin brushing against the covered bulge of his partner's erection.

Flicking his eyes upward, Keith's breath caught when met with the naked adoration and awe plastered on Lance's face above. Initially, he'd been thinking of letting the brunette take the lead - it'd been a long time since he'd had sex, longer than he cared to admit, and he did love to be spoiled in the bedroom. Now, however, Keith was determined to do anything, everything, to keep Lance looking at him like that for the rest of the night, if not forever. _Quiznak_. Biting back a groan, the mulleted man maintained eye contact while running his hands up his partner's clothed thighs, hesitating only briefly when he reached the juncture of his crotch then undoing the fastenings to those cargo pants.

"Yes." Lance's whisper was filled with such joy; Keith flushed and tugged at the waistband, gesturing for the other man to slide the pants fully off. Quick to comply, his partner rolled off the bed and to his feet, shoving the material down his legs and, with a loving yet still lusty smile, removed his boxers as well. Keith felt his own cock twitch as the other man's throbbed into view, reddened and already beaded with a dribbles of precum from the crowned tip. Though the wonder was still there, Lance's cockiness returned as the brunette stroked his cock then teased, "Your turn, babe." It took Keith a minute or two (well, maybe three) to tear his gaze away from that tantalizing sight and realize what the other man had said, had meant.

 _Oh_. Keith remained on the bed, kneeling and making a show of unbuttoning and unzipping the jeans, shoving a hand inside to give a brief squeeze to his cock before pushing down the fabric with both hands. Once it reached just beneath the swell of his ass, the mulleted man bounced back, pleased to hear the brunette's whine as his uncut cock literally bounced into view as he finished removing the rest of his clothing. No sooner had he released his legs did Lance pounce atop him, arms bracketing his head like before and - Keith's eyes rolled back in his head at the feel of - their naked cocks touching. Gasping, he gently thrust his hips upwards to seek more.

"Babe," Lance growled, pushing himself to a plank position and biting his lower lip at the needy look on his partner's pretty face. He took a shaky breath and started again, sounding more desperate, "Babe. I'm so close, d-don't...mmm..." Angling his groin away, he hissed and shook.

If Keith wasn't close before, he was now. Ignoring his rebellious throbbing cock, he ceased his friction-seeking and leaned up to kiss the other man, whispering against his lips, "I want you inside me." Fueled on by Lance's responding whine, he continued, "I want you to fuck me, Lance. Please, do it. Fuck me. I want y- AH! YES!" Keith screamed when he felt a slick - with lube? spit? his own precum? - finger circle his rim. Gripping the brunette's broad shoulders tightly, he sighed with desire when the finger eventually thrust in.

"Relax, babe. I've got you." At Lance's gentle prodding words, in complete juxtaposition with the impatient, insistent push of his finger, Keith shut his eyes and took calming breaths, willing his strung out body to allow his lover easier access; his reward for acquiescing came moments later, as the brunette found his prostate and pressed it teasingly.

"More," the mulleted man demanded, flushing from his cheeks down to his chest as his partner wiggled another finger inside his tight hole, the two soon alternating between massaging his prostate and scissoring him open. Keith couldn't be certain how long he endured his partner's administrations, seemingly taking him apart with just a couple of fingers up his ass, but he was ready to weep with ~~longing~~  relief when Lance slowly withdrew his fingers. He opened his eyes and shivered as he watched his lover tear open the foil for what appeared to be a lubricated condom (where it came from, he could only guess the brunette smuggled it in a pocket), lifting and spreading his own legs to better accommodate the other man's imminent plunder.

To Keith's surprise, after Lance was sheathed and poised by his glistening, pink entrance, his partner made no move to continue. When silently pleading with his watery eyes didn't work, the mulleted man moaned, "Lance, please. I need you."

One of the brunette's hands shot out to cradle his chin, tilting his head back so as to better study its beauty in the light. Smiling tenderly, Lance stated firmly, "I love you."

Without further prompting, Keith automatically responded in kind. "I love you too." Chest fluttering at the warmth in those blue eyes raking over his face, he whined and gently swatted his partner in the shoulder. "Now fuck me or I'm going to flip you over and ride you into the mattress."

"Next time," Lance teasing assured him as he proceeded to guide his cock with his free hand and nudge the other man's hole. Once the tip slipped past the tight ring of muscle, both men cried out at the incredible sensation of Keith's body opening for his lover.

Growling with impatience at how slowly his partner was going, Keith tried arching his hips up to take in more only to be denied as the brunette grabbed ahold and pushed him back down. In response, he wrapped his hands around the other man's neck and pulled him in for another frantic kiss, using the leverage to exert control over the pace, mimicking the frustrating slowness of Lance _still dammit_  inching in. Smirking at his partner's whimper, Keith muttered, "You go faster, I will, too. Come on, baby boy."

Lance paused and stiffened, startling the other man and causing him to blink up at the brunette. Had he offended him with the love name? His partner still pulsed hard within him, so it hadn't killed his libido, least not yet. Keith opened his mouth with the intention of apologizing and pleading with Lance to continue, the words never coming as Lance suddenly thrust his entire length inside; the mulleted man trembled and moaned, both thrilled to have finally gotten his wish and overwhelmed at the throbbing full sensation. The tip of his cock was pressed flush against his prostate, a delicious tease that had Keith's cock twitching and dribbling more precum.

When Lance began to move, hard, fast, and aim dead-on with that special spot, Keith tipped his head back, crying out and face scrunching up at the slight burn and toe-tingling stretch. Dragging his hands down his partner's broad, bronzed back, he let out a broken gasp at a particularly rough hit and reached down to squeeze that firm buttocks, drawing a throaty groan of appreciation from the brunette. Even more than the perfectly placed and timed thrusts, the gorgeous warm muscles rippling beneath his fingertips, and the harsh huffs of breath tickling his cheeks and neck, Keith was getting off on Lance's heavy, heady stare, didn't have to meet his glittering blue eyes to know and feel their caress.

As the brunette's hands released his hips, one sliding up to trace his pouty lower lip and the other stroking his cock, the mulleted man used his newfound freedom to arch and grind closer, planting his feet flat on the mattress for leverage. He wanted to cum, yes, but he also wanted to give as good as he got, drive Lance crazy as he clenched down on that hot, thick cock filling him with such pleasure. If only, he thought distantly, they'd foregone a condom; the idea of being filled with Lance's cum nearly had him losing it right there. Not yet, Keith willed his body to wait, strongly desiring to reach his orgasm close to, if not with, the other man.

"D-dammit Keith." Lance ducked his head down, eyes still cast upward as he kissed and laved the other man's jaw and neck. Quickening his thrusts, he growled and tightened his grip on his partner's cock, thumb rubbing just beneath the head and foreskin. Grinning as Keith wailed, Lance nuzzled his cheek and praised, "You're so beautiful." At his partner's shudder and blush, he continued, "So perfect. Being inside you, babe...fucking incredible."

Keith gasped, inwardly agreeing with the other man's words. _Lance was beautiful, perfect, fucking incredib- oooh!_  Toes curling, he bore down on Lance's length within him and, voice thin with breathlessness, blathered a warning, "I'm close, I'm not gonna last."

"Perfect," the brunette murmured, causing his partner to squirm as he again sped up his thrusts and strokes. Keith grit his teeth and stubbornly kept his body taunt, trying to hang on; he wept with relief when Lance assured him, "I'm not gonna last, either. Let me feel you, babe."

That was all the encouragement Keith needed as, moments later, the onslaught of sensations - being pounded into, the rough strokes of his cock, the tenderness with which Lance began to pepper kisses along his cheekbone - became too much, leading him to reach his climax with a violent shudder and silent scream, sticky, thick streaks of cum sputtering out to decorate his pale, sweaty chest. Feeling his hole tightening around the brunette, and hearing his partner's growl of approval, spurred him to forego bonelessly basking in the glows of the aftermath and doing everything possible to take Lance over that edge as well. Surging upward, he sucked the brunette's lower lip into his mouth and began to worry it between his teeth whilst lowering his hands on the other man's buttocks to part the plump cheeks. Without lubricant, his options were limited but that didn't stop Keith from alternating between rubbing the puckered ring and pressing down, its heat and flexing beneath the pad of his finger causing his own cock to twitch despite cumming. For Lance, that steady, teasing stimulus combined with Keith's toothy kisses and fluttering hole eventually made him cum; groaning deep from his belly, the brunette thrust in roughly three more times then stilled, shaking as he spilled inside the condom.

Though his orgasm was technically done with, Keith hummed happily and cradled his partner close, massaging the still quivering man's lower back. No doubt tomorrow morning, his body would be in agony from the physical exertion from both wandering the desert for hours plus getting fucked but for now he couldn't be bothered by such thoughts, not when Lance was still in his arms - and technically still in his ass.

 

* * *

 

Okay, so _maybe_  he should've insisted on going to bed right away and not egging Lance on for another round, Keith thought as he awoke and stretched in bed, grimacing at the dull ache in his backside and soreness of his legs. Muttering a curse, he turned to glare at the obliviously snoring, sleeping brunette to his left. Resisting the urge to stretch his arms further and "accidentally" whack Lance in his blissed-out face, the mulleted man reached over to his cinderblock, makeshift nightstand and grabbed his new cellphone. Relieved that it was fully charged and ready for use, Keith checked the time and, seeing as it was only 8:30AM, typed out a quick message to the speedster thanking them once again for the gift. After a moment's hesitation, he shot a message to Shiro as well to let the mindreader know he and Lance would be at Kolivan's as discussed. About to put the phone back, Keith flinched when it vibrated in his hand, signifying a new message. Two messages, he was surprised to see.

_Pidge [8:32AM]: You're welcome. But if you ever text me before I've had any coffee again for anything other than an emergency, I'LL END YOU.  
Shiro [8:33AM]: Sound good. We'll see you there._

Snorting at the image of the fuming speedster, Keith tossed the phone aside and glanced at Lance, lips quirking at the blinking blue eyes studying him.

"Good morning babe." The brunette yawned and stretched, drawing his partner's gaze to his bare chest and flat stomach. Fully aware of the other man's rapture, he trailed one hand down and pushing the sheet away to reveal his semi-erection. Chuckling at Keith's scowl, he murmured, "How do you feel about morning sex?"

Rolling his eyes, the mulleted man answered with a simple, "No." Amused at the other man's huff of indignation, Keith said, "We should get up. Up as in out of bed and get dressed."

"But baaaaaabe," Lance whined, tossing a leg over the other man's and, despite protests, tugging him close. "I doubt it's even nine yet, plenty of time to laze in bed. Aren't you sore? Quiznak, I wasn't even taking it and I am wrecked."

Glaring at the reminder of his aches, Keith gave in and pinched his partner's arm, smirking darkly at Lance's yelp. "We can either get to Kolivan's early or," he paused, an idea suddenly coming to him, "we can give another look around here before heading out." Snickering when Lance sighed dramatically, he snarkily reminded, "You said we could 'brood' and 'be emo' about Voltron in the morning. Well, baby boy, it's morning."

"Two things. One: don't use my sex nickname against me, unless you're gonna rub your smokin' hot bod against me all sexy like...or give me head." Giggling as he wrestled with Keith to prevent another pinch, or worse, Lance continued, "And two: as much as I wanna believe Voltron's here - it makes sense with how, I dunno, _right_  this place feels - there's a high chance it's not. Between me and Pidge alone, we covered so much ground, not to mention you and Shiro cave hopping. If it was here, shouldn't we have found it already? Where would we even look? I know I said we had plenty of time but, seriously, we gotta be in the air in about 40 minutes if we wanna make it in time for your 'curfew.'"

Ignoring the gibe, Keith insisted, "I'm not suggesting we look everywhere; I think we should focus here, on my property and the immediate surrounding area." Absentmindedly stroking his partner's arm, he admitted, "If Kolivan's theory is right, it brings into question a lot of what I knew about my parents, who I thought they were. It'd be too much of a coincidence that my mom, a Galra, married a guy who just happened to have this land in his family for so many generations. Did she pick him in hopes of uncovering Voltron? Did my dad know about the Galra and their plans? The not knowing drives me crazy when I think about it, I have to push it from my mind or else I c-can't deal."

Lance frowned and pulled away, reaching out a hand to the distressed man. When Keith hesitantly placed his within the other's grasp, the brunette placed a gentle kiss on his knuckles then replied, "Then let's get up and get dressed, like you said. We'll fly and, when you spot somewhere you wanna take a closer look at, we'll do that, right up until we need to leave. We can even come back tonight and continue, if you want." Blinking at the kind offer, Keith mutely nodded and allowed the brunette to pull him from the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written a full-fledged sex scene before, so this was a challenge, but a fun one. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it! ^_^ 
> 
> This chapter was getting waaaaay long so I did postpone some Galra action until next chapter. The boys all but demanded I let their smut be the focal point, though I did sneak in a transition at the end. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	72. Flight Of The- QUIZNAK!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance begin to search the desert, but they soon encounter something they absolutely weren't expecting.

"Mind if I borrow a shirt?"

Keith, who'd been gawking at the _stupidly gorgeous and very much naked_  brunette before him, barely registered Lance had spoken until the other man started laughing. At him. Blushing furiously, he mumbled incoherently and brushed past his partner, shivering at the sensation of their bare shoulders and thighs brushing against one another. Having his back turned to Lance did little to assuage Keith's embarrassment, as the brunette quieted but followed, plastering himself to the mulleted man from behind to suck on his earlobe and watch as he dug through his dresser drawers. Gasping when Lance began to nibble on the sensitive flesh, Keith blindly pulled two pairs of underwear out; elbowing the other man to gain some space - and calm his eagerly reacting body - he shoved one into the other's open hands. His heart seemed to flutter more rapidly within his chest, threatening to bust out, when the brunette raised the garment high to inspect it.

"Red's more your color than mine, babe," Lance said as he lowered the boxer briefs, "but I do like the style. I bet they look hot as quiznak on you, hugging that sexy tush." Snickering at his partner's scowl, the brunette proceeded to pull the underwear on. Shifting to show off from the side, he had to tease, "Do these make my butt look big?"

Rolling his eyes at the eyebrow-waggling man, Keith turned to the dresser again and, after slipping on the black briefs he'd been holding, pulled a black tshirt and pair of dark grey jeans out of another drawer and threw them backward towards Lance.

"I dunno if I can pull off the emo angst required to rock this look. Got anything in pink or blue?"

After selecting his own outfit, a black tshirt and black leggings, Keith spun around and retorted, "It's an improvement to what you were wearing." His lips quirked in amusement as the brunette huffed indignantly. When Lance tossed the clothing back on the bed, Keith braced himself for an argument; to his surprise, the other man swept forward and kissed him. Groaning at the messy, feral technique with which his partner plundered his mouth, the mulleted man let the top and bottom slide from his grip and reached out to caress those broad, bronzed shoulders. Keith, however, only allowed the kiss to carry on for a few minutes before pulling back abruptly, using his arms to shove the other man back. Despite being incredibly turned on, moreso as he took in Lance's glistening lips, he growled, "We can't afford to get distracted."

Lance's expression betrayed his desire to say 'screw it' and press on; Keith felt equally relieved and disappointed when the brunette, after taking a few deep breaths, nodded. As he stepped back and picked up his discarded change of clothes, Lance clucked, "You sound like Shiro."

Donning his clothing and watching his partner, Keith shrugged, "Well he's right when he says it. The universe is depending on us, Lance."

"I get it, babe. I'm not trying to belittle it or hinder our, I dunno, destiny or whatever by any means." Lance zipped up his jeans and crooned, "But can you fault me for wanting more sexy fun times with you? Last night was quiznaking fantastic." Delighted by the other man's flush, he added with a wink, "I can't wait to do it again. Maybe we can switch it up next time, eh?"

It took all of Keith's will not to insist on making good on that offer _right now_. Grumbling at the tightness in the crotch of his jeans and shooting his partner a dirty look, Keith yanked on the shirt then padded into the kitchen to dig through the cupboards in search of something adequate for a quick breakfast. Pulling out a box of cornflakes, he slammed it on the counter and dared to glance up at the brunette.

Ignoring the other man's flirty grin, Keith stated, "So I have cereal but, um, no milk. I usually eat it dry."

"Of course you do." Chuckling at his partner's disgruntled huff, Lance replied, "I'm okay to wait. If you're hungry, by all means go for it; while you do that, I can poke around your stuff and-"

Not allowing the brunette to finish, Keith pushed the box aside and hummed, "Nevermind. I bet we can grab something better at Kolivan's. Let's not waste any more time. Come on, we gotta find Voltron."

 

* * *

 

For the first ten minutes, Keith and Lance flew in silence, the former's gaze fixed on the terrain below and the latter looking ahead to resist the temptation of nuzzling his partner's silky hair. The brunette's resolve, however, weakened the further they flew and he was readying to give in, and risk annoying the mulleted man, when he spotted something far off in the distance, flying their way. Considering how low they were flying, it was certainly not an aircraft, unless... Suddenly, those censuring remarks Keith made about his reckless use of his ability and past quips about being dragged off by the military echoed throughout his mind, causing Lance to tense; could that be a drone? he worried. It was still a way's away, little more than a dark blip (but certainly larger than a bird). Sparing a glance at Keith, he was relieved to see the other man hadn't noticed and was focused downward.

Licking his lips, Lance murmured, "Hey baby." He repeated himself a few times before his partner turned his head; ignoring the scowl on Keith's face, the brunette said, "We should land. I think there might be a drone coming this way." The mulleted man's eyes widened and he looked ahead, expression shifting from annoyance to a combination of confusion and apprehension. Before his partner nodded in acceptance, Lance had already shifted to descend. The patch of land they were landing on, Keith noted sourly, was flat desert pavement with no vegetation or large rocks to hide among.

As they touched down, the mulleted man mused aloud, "Let's hope the drone hasn't taken notice of us yet, otherwise we're screwed."

"Maybe we should text Pidge?" At the other man's raised brow, Lance explained, "In case we need a speedy exit."

Keith didn't think that was a bad idea and whipped out the phone from his back pocket to do just that, but he did point out, "They can only carry one at a time." The brunette's next words startled him before he'd managed to type a single word.

"Exactly - they can get you out of here. And I, well... If they make it back in time for me, then great; they probably will. But if not-"

He wouldn't let the other man finish; Keith almost dropped his new phone in his haste to grab ahold of Lance's arms and shake the brunette refusing to meet his eyes. Undeterred, he growled, "Absolutely NOT. I'll _never_ leave you." Frowning even when Lance looked up and blinked at him, Keith continued, "For all we know, it might not be a drone. Even if it is, it might not be military; could be Google or Amazon or whatever else is using those dumb things. And, most importantly, it might not've seen us, it's so far away..." His voice trailed off at the end as he tilted his head back, blanching as he, and no doubt Lance as the other man was now looking as well, surprised to see how much closer it had gotten in so short a span of time. Close enough that they could determine three things.

One: it wasn't a military drone.

Two: the winged robot couldn't possibly have been human-crafted.

And three: it was most definitely headed towards them.

"Maybe the Galra are sending out scout/scanner bots instead of making their troops wander around the desert? Would make sense given how hot and kinda overwhelming it is." Lance's comments startled Keith, who'd been silently studying the flying robot.

In response, the mulleted man replied, "If that's the case, then we should to go back to the shack, to get out of sight. Think you can fly fast enough?"

"Pfft, course I can! But don't you think that'd be pointless? We're better off taking it out before it can report back to whoever sent it that we're out here."

"That's assuming more aren't on the way - and assuming we can even fight that thing." Expecting Lance to make a joke about too many 'asses' in that statement or something, Keith was disconcerted when the brunette held his tongue. When the other man still made no move to speak after several moments, he decided to chance a glance back at the Galra bot.

Keith gasped as the winged enemy, obviously having picked up its pace during the couple's verbal exchange, loomed near where he could better see its form. The body was built like a robotic beast, reminiscent of a mythical griffin save for its head obviously modeled after humans.

No, Keith realized with horror, not humans. Galra. One Galra in particular. Golden eyes glittered from its metal visage, and the eerily familiar structure to its face left little doubt who must've inspired its design. It looked like a feminized, facial-tattooed version of him, just like...  _Sina_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic needed a robobeast, and who better than Keith's estranged relative? 0_o 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


	73. Burn Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance face-off against the robobeast

Instead of an aerial attack, as Keith and Lance anticipated given its arrival, the robotic beast gracefully glided to the ground, seamlessly breaking into a run towards the couple. Those metalled wings remained magnificently spanned, the 'feathers' looking more like daggers similar to Keith's blade of Marmora. Reminded of his weapon, the mulleted man withdrew it from the sheath attached to his belt and stood poised, ready to strike but waiting for an opportune moment to do so. Beside him, Lance was in a similar stance, fists raises as he lacked a knife. Keith wasn't sure how effective whatever physicals attacks they were capable of would be effective against their enemy, but he knew their powers should, no _would_ , do the trick if/when it came time to utilize those.

When the Galra bot proceeded to launch its dagger-feathers at the two men, Lance yanked Keith close so quickly that the other man nearly stabbed himself with his own blade as they ascended several feet into the air. The speed with which the brunette moved caused Keith's ears to ring, the noise drowning out the sound of the beast below yowling and positioning its wings to shoot another round of dagger-feathers upwards. Lance murmured something the other man couldn't make out, probably a reassurance or apology, as he wildly dipped and spun to avoid either of them getting hit. Even though the daredevil flying was making him discombobulated, Keith was more concerned that the creature might take to the sky as well; despite Lance's evasive maneuvers and speed, their enemy would have little/no problem catching up to them, and he couldn't risk supernovaing in Lance's arms and burning up the man as well.

With that in mind, Keith took a shaky breath then murmured, "Put me down." Ignoring the comically contorted, 'WTF' expression on his partner's face, he commanded, "Down. Now." He probably didn't need to add it, but still- "Trust me."

Lance continued to avoid the dagger-feathers but, to the other man's relief, did seem to be descending. The brunette's brows were furrowed, in concentration and what Keith assumed was annoyance, as he growled, "You're not going to explode, are you?"

That was _part_  of the plan, but Keith opted not to share that tidbit because he suspected his partner wouldn't let go if he did. As tactful as possible, he outlined his intent. "I think the two of us stuck together like this is making it too easy for that thing to kill us. We have to split up, keep its attention divided; while it attacks one, the other can take an opening to wound it."

"I dunno how much damage I can do to robobeast without a weapon-" Lance broke off with a squeak as Keith, clearly hellbent on remedying that, managed to catch one of the dagger-feathers whizzing by them. Eyes wide, the brunette screeched, "You could've lost your hand doing that! Did it slice you?" Unsatisfied when his partner showed off his injury-free hand, the man blathered on as he twirled to evade another projectile, "Jeez, mullet, between exploding and playing with knives, you're gonna drive me to an early grave!"

Rolling his eyes, Keith turned to glance back at the robotic beast and flinched when he saw it galloping towards them, jaw dropped to show off its sharp teeth that looked uncannily like true bone (and not metal as one would've assumed given the rest of its appearance). The creature was no doubt aiming to maul or pummel both men upon landing, so Keith nudged Lance when they reached a reasonable height above the ground; at the brunette's questioning, albeit impatient, look in response, the mulleted man repeated his earlier comment, to trust him, then used all his strength to roughly shove himself from his partner's arms whilst thrusting the feather-dagger hilt first at the man. Though it was obvious what Keith wanted, Lance struggled for several moments to maintain his hold before acquiescing, eyes wide with worry as he simultaneously released his boyfriend and accepted the weapon.

Letting go might've terrified Lance, but it was absolutely exhilirating for Keith. The distance was nowhere near as dramatic as that which skydivers fall, however it gave the mulleted man a sweet, fleeting taste of that heart-pounding giddiness. After sparing a a brief glance at the Galra bot, and pleased to see it (at least temporarily) preoccupied with shooting projectiles at the other man, Keith tucked in his legs and prepared to roll upon impact, hoping that would prevent extensive injury and allow him to better regain his bearings. It was definitely reckless - he could easily sprain or twist an ankle, if not worse - but, Keith mused as the ground drew closer, he was committed to this now. His eyes squeezed shut of their own volition as he forced his body to remain limber as the soles of his boots hit the ground, using the momentum to indeed roll and spring up. Blinking in surprise that it quiznaking worked, the mulleted man let out a huff of relieved laughter - which promptly cut off as, _quiznak_ , the robotic beast fired a round of feather-daggers at him. Yelping, Keith ignored the jello feeling in his legs and dodged the attack, jumping and diving as if it were a game of deadly dodgeball.

Once the rain of projectiles past, Keith tightened his grip of the blade of Marmora and ran straight for his enemy, who seemed to lose all interest in Lance, even turning its back on the brunette and merely swatting backhandedly at his swooping form like one would a noisy fly. The robotic beast didn't charge this time around; it crouched down catlike, behind elevated slightly and wings still spread. Ready to pounce, he realized. Keith refused to be intimidated, growling as he targeted the creature's eyes and swinging his weapon just as the enemy shifted to strike.

What surprised him wasn't that he missed his mark, nor was it that he narrowly avoided getting his arm bitten off by the beast's snapping jaws; Keith, well the flat of his blade, connected with and knocked out one of its incisor teeth which, he flinched at discovering, really were bone-like. Even more disturbing, blood poured from the bot's mouth, dribbling down its metalled chin. Beneath the armored exterior, did that mean it was...flesh? Unfortunately, he had little time to wonder over that implication as the wounded creature lunged for him.

Keith twisted sharply to avoid the bot's mouth, pride overriding his fear as he watched Lance drop down on top of the robotic beast to stab at its exposed neck. The enemy howled and first attempted to buck the brunette off, resorting to flapping its wings and clawing wildly to remove the assailant astride its back. Lance reminded Keith of a bull rider, one hand wrapped securely around the hilt of the pierced weapon and the other waving above his head; it would've been funny had, moments later, the beast not have hit its mark and swiped the man's side. Keith cried out as his partner crashed to the ground several feet back, face pinched with pain and clutching the bloodied spot where the talons struck.

Panic, rage, and love propelled Keith to channel his power to the surface. As he felt the familiar light flicker beneath his skin, he tossed the blade of Marmora aside and jumped at the beast, pulling its attention and body away from his injured partner. The distance wasn't enough to ensure Lance's safety, so Keith desperately struggled both to devise a plan to gain more distance whilst maintaining the hold he had on the Galra bot's right wing. Gritting his teeth against the dual agony of the it's nails digging into his back and dagger-feathers scoring his chest - and bracing himself for more - he mustered all his physical strength to jerk the beast further back, succeeding in maybe a few feet at most before the creature began to flap its wings, ascending awkwardly to shake him off. Feeling his grip and control over his power slackening, Keith took a deep breath and did the only thing he could think of - he gored himself to the beast via the razor-sharp, thick digit protruding from its wing's metacarpus. Dimly, he prayed they were high enough as the light burst and he began to burn up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the aftermath of the battle, among other things...
> 
>  
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> Thanks for reading! <3


	74. There Are Fates Worse Than Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith struggles with the aftermath of the battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case...
> 
> Trigger Warning: Brief mentions of murder and torture

He _knew_. The second he finished materializing, Keith knew something was wrong - not with him, least not his body. His senses came back 'online' in random order, as usual: the taste of acrid ash and blood thick on his tongue, the familiar firmness of his mattress and crispness of his sheet a welcome sensation against his bare skin, his ears straining to hear the exact words Lance was murmuring somewhere across the room, his eyes fluttering open to spot the brunette leaning against his kitchen cabinets, and the distinct scent of his soap wafting off...him? Keith kept an eye on Lance, whose back was turned to him, as he lifted the sheet a tad to confirm that, yes, his partner had wiped off any sand, soot, dirt, and/or blood before placing him in the bed. His relief at being clean and unharmed outweighed any exasperation over his nudity. (At least Lance covered him with a sheet, right?) Although...

Blanching as he remembered his partner's injury, Keith bolted upright and scrambled to get out of the bed, intent on checking out the other man. Lance turned around the moment he heard him move, brows furrowed as if troubled; his expression didn't lighten as his boyfriend drew near, though he did hurry to slide his phone out of view. Though that last tidbit piqued Keith's curiosity, he was more concerned with the brunette's well-being as he reached out shaky hands to skim the other man's sides.

Lance answered the question before it could even leave his lips, "The scratches weren't that deep, already patched 'em up." The false cheer the brunette injected into his voice did little to temper the worry blossoming in Keith's chest, nor did the strained smirk and flirty comments he next quipped at the mulleted man. "As much as I hate to suggest it, you should probably put on some pants. I quiznaking love the view, but -" The brunette was cut off by the sound of the bathroom door - which Keith hadn't noticed was closed - swinging open; the mulleted man jolted when Shiro strode out whilst wiping his hands on a paper towel. Shiro's eyes raked over him, lips twitching in amusement.

Keith, meanwhile, blushed and dashed back to his bed, cheeks burning hotter as he wrapped the sheet around himself; Lance's chackles made his hands ~~itch to throttle him~~  shake, thus making it harder for him to get covered up quickly. He tried to push aside his mortification as he looked to both men and said, "Um, hey Shiro. Is everyone else here, too?"

His question seemed to sober the other men instantly, Lance's laughter stopping abruptly and Shiro frowned. The two exchanged glances before the latter replied, "Pidge and Hunk are here as well. We've come to help search the area again for Voltron. Lance mentioned you were trying to do that when the Galra creature showed up."

"Right. Are they outside? Is that thing...?" Keith wasn't upset by the prospect of the beast's demise, but he was worried that perhaps it got away, somehow. The metalled gladiator, as far as he knew, was unharmed by his burning light; could this enemy still be out there, too? He bit back a yelp as Shiro's voice rang within his mind: ' _They're disposing of the remains._ ' After letting out a sigh of relief for having accomplished something - other than scaring another 10 or so years from Lance's life by exploding - the mulleted man looked to his partner with the intention of apologizing. Keith hesitated when faced with the brunette appearing more distressed than prior to Shiro's entrance. Instead, he asked the man, "Lance, are you sure you're okay? The cuts...?"

The brunette didn't even try to put on a false front as he murmured, "Hunk checked 'em over, I'm fine."

Sighing, Keith went ahead and stated, "I'm not sorry for saving our lives, but I am sorry for traumatizing you." Ignoring Shiro's added presence, he focused solely on a solemn-eyed Lance. "I understand why you're upset."

Expecting his partner to make a snippy comment back, he was surprised when the other man let out a ragged sigh then responded softly, "I'm not upset, least not in the way you think." Acknowledging Keith's confusion, he clarified, "I mean yeah, I don't like when you supernova because it scares the poo outta me. I wish you hadn't had to do that; I know though that the robobeast would've killed us. Mostly I feel bad about what happened after you did your, uh, thing."

When the brunette made no move to continue after several moments, Keith grit his teeth and growled, "Lance." He grew increasingly anxious over what the other man might be hiding, well, hesitating to admit.

It was Shiro that put him out of his misery, so to speak. The mindreader utilized his power to mentally communicate: ' _Lance texted me once you affixed yourself to the creature, which was very reckless of you by the way._ ' Keith rolled his eyes at that but listened as his friend continued: ' _I was already at Kolivan's with Pidge and the others, so I let everyone know what was going on. Pidge ran me out here first, then went back for Hunk. When I got here, you'd supernovaed and were a mass of floating lights; the creature was still burning, still alive_.' Shiro paused, his face mirroring the pity underlying his next message: ' _I could read her mind, Keith. She let me, because she wanted me to know. Wanted you to know. That didn't just resemble Sina - it actually was her._ '

"How?" The word felt wrenched from Keith's constricted throat. He wasn't sure how to describe the warring emotions rampaging within him at that revelation; the overall effect left him feeling numb.

Aloud, Shiro answered, "In short, Sendak caught her shortly after Pidge released her. She was interrogated, tortured, and then Haggar performed experiments on her. They turned her into that monster and unleashed her to kill you specifically."

She almost had, Keith realized dimly. If not him directly, indirectly via Lance. He looked over his partner again, gaze lingering on the brunette's injured side. But how had she known, he wondered, that he returned to his home? Was she merely waiting in the desert for him to show? Why hadn't he encountered her when Pidge and Shiro were around yesterday? Unless, of course, she waited until he was vulnerable to strike. Grimacing at the thought, he ran the free hand not clutching the sheet through his hair and decided to change the topic (because he couldn't deal with this right now). "How long do you think before Hunk and Pidge get back? Have they been gone long?"

If Shiro was alarmed, he hid it well; Lance, on the other hand, gaped at Keith. The mindreader merely said, "They'll be back soon." He gave his friend a once-over. "I'll go outside and wait for them, give you some privacy to dress."

Had Keith been in better spirits, he would've thanked the other man; as it were, he nodded mutely and watched Shiro leave. He could feel Lance's eyes trained on him, and Keith braced himself first before looking to his partner. That was all the encouragement Lance needed as he swept across the room to crouch by Keith's knees, extending a shaky hand to rest atop one. The mulleted man was comforted by the contact and proximity, but not enough to dispel the chill settling within.

_He killed Sina. His relative. Maybe the last living relative._

Steeling himself, Keith patted Lance's hand then stood abruptly, forcing the brunette to move lest he fall backwards. Tossing the sheet aside, he walked straight past his partner to the dresser in search of clothes. To his relief, his partner didn't make any moves or try to strike up conversation until he was finished; only then did Lance state, "We are going to talk about this, babe, for both our sakes -" the muffled sound of Hunk's voice from outside became audible - "later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: the gang looks for Voltron, klangst, and more.
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>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3

**Author's Note:**

> I actually had a dream about this last night. Not sure if I'll continue it, lemme know what you think!


End file.
